One commentator highlights a profound theological truth in this verse: God and humans can have different intentions in the same event. Abimelech's motive was personal revenge against the Schechemites for slighting him. However, God's purpose was to use Abimelech as an instrument of judgment to punish the Schechemites for their earlier sin of helping murder Gideon's sons. This shows how God sovereignly works through human actions to accomplish His righteous will.