Judges 9:50

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

Judges 9:50 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:50

Then went Abimelech to Thebez
Which, according to Ben Gersom, had rebelled against him; it was near to Shechem. Adrichomius says ^F16, the ruins, where he thinks stood the city of Thebez, were but one furlong from Neapolis or Shechem, where, to the left of Jacob's well, were to be seen ruins of a large town, marble stones, whole pillars, and other signs of large palaces, and the soil wonderfully fruitful; and Jerome says ^F17, that in his time there was a village called Thebes, on the borders of Neapolis or Shechem, as you go to Scythopolis, thirteen miles from it. It must be near Shechem, inhabited by Shechemites, to fulfil Jotham's curse, ( Judges 9:20 )

and encamped against Thebez, and took it:
it seems not to have held out long, being deserted by its inhabitants, who fled to the tower, as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 70.
F17 De loc. Heb. 95. D.

Judges 9:50 In-Context

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.

51 The Tower-of-Strength stood in the middle of the city; all the men and women of the city along with the city's leaders had fled there and locked themselves in. They were up on the tower roof.

52 Abimelech got as far as the tower and assaulted it. He came up to the tower door to set it on fire.