Judges 9:40

40 And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town.

Judges 9:40 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:40

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him
Abimelech got the better of him in the battle, and obliged him to give way, and he pursued him closely as he was fleeing:

and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the
gate;
or, "they fell many wounded" ^F11, or slain, as the Targum; that is, many were killed and wounded, as in the battle, so in the pursuit, and lay all the way to the entrance into the gate of the city, to which Gaal, and the men of Shechem, made for their safety, and got in.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (Myllx wlpn) "et ceciderant vulnerati multi", Pagninus, Montanus.

Judges 9:40 In-Context

38 Then Zebul said to him, Now where is your loud talk when you said, Who is Abimelech that we are to be his servants? Is this not the people whom you were rating so low? Go out now, and make war on them.

39 So Gaal went out at the head of the townsmen of Shechem and made war on Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town.

41 Then Abimelech went back to Arumah; and Zebul sent Gaal and his brothers away and would not let them go on living in Shechem.

42 Now the day after, the people went out into the fields; and news of it came to Abimelech.