Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
However, the fact that Abimelech regarded himself as the successor to Gideon suggests that he understood the king in view to be Gideon (cf. Judges 9:2). Probably "Abimelech" reflects Gideon’s perception of his own status in Israel. Abimelech perpetuated and extended Gideon’s bad practices rather than his good theology. Gideon had said the right things but done the wrong things.