Judges 9:48

48 He and his troops climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his troops, "Do what you've seen me do, and quickly."

Judges 9:48 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:48

And Abimelech got him up to Mount Zalmon
A mountain near Shechem, and thought to be the same with Salmon in ( Psalms 68:14 ) which seems to have had its name from the shade of the trees which grew upon it:

he and all the people that were with him;
his whole army:

and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the
trees;
which grew upon Mount Zalmon:

and took it, and laid it on his shoulders;
and carried it along with him:

and said unto the people that were with him, what ye have seen me do,
make haste, and do as I have done;
take an axe, and every man cut down a bough with all possible haste, and lay it on his shoulder.

Judges 9:48 In-Context

46 When the leaders connected with Shechem's Tower heard this, they went into the fortified God-of-the-Covenant temple.

47 This was reported to Abimelech that the Shechem's Tower bunch were gathered together.

48 He and his troops climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his troops, "Do what you've seen me do, and quickly."

49 So each of his men cut his own bundle. They followed Abimelech, piled their bundles against the Tower fortifications, and set the whole structure on fire. Everyone in Shechem's Tower died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Abimelech went on to Thebez. He camped at Thebez and captured it.