Judges 9:47

47 Avimelekh was told that all the men from the Sh'khem fortress had gathered together;

Judges 9:47 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:47

And it was told Abimelech
Who had his spies about, and particularly to observe the motions of the men in this tower:

that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together;
in the hold of the temple of Baalberith.

Judges 9:47 In-Context

45 Avimelekh fought against the city all that day; captured it, killed its people, destroyed its buildings and sowed its land with salt.

46 When all the men in the fortress at Sh'khem heard about this, they took refuge in the stronghold of the temple of El-B'rit.

47 Avimelekh was told that all the men from the Sh'khem fortress had gathered together;

48 so he led all his men up to Mount Tzalmon, where he took an axe in his hand, cut a branch off a tree, and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to those with him, "Quick! Do just what you saw me do!"

49 They all did likewise, each man cutting off his branch; and they followed Avimelekh. They put the branches up against the stronghold, set them on fire, and burned down the stronghold; so that all the people from the Sh'khem fortress died, about a thousand men and women.