Judges 8:31

Concubine. The sequel indicates that she may have been a Canaanite. The fact that this woman remained with her relatives in Shechem instead of coming to Gideon’s home in Ophrah shows that the case was one which the early Arabs called a “sadika [female friend]” marriage. Under such a marriage arrangement the woman lived with her own people, and was visited by the husband from time to time. The children born to such a marriage were counted as members of the wife’s clan, and always lived with the mother.

Whose name he called. Literally, “he put his name.” The Hebrew construction here used is frequently employed when additional names, or surnames are given later in life (2 Kings 17:34; Neh. 9:7; Dan. 1:7; Dan. 5:12). Because of this some have thought that the name Abimelech, which means “father of a king,” was given when Gideon observed the ambitious and boastful character of the child. The name may also mean “my father is king.” Therefore it may have been given by the mother, out of vanity, so that all would remember that the lad’s father was the powerful judge Gideon. Abimelech proved to be an unworthy son of Gideon, for he had the courage and energy of his father but not his virtues.