Judges 9:50

50 Then Abimelech moved on to Thebez, set up camp against it, 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 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him went up on Mount Zalmon. He grabbed an ax, cut off a bundle of branches, and hoisted them onto his shoulder. Then he ordered the men who were with him, "Hurry up and do what you've seen me do!"

49 Each one of the men cut off a bundle as well and followed Abimelech. They piled them up against the side rooms and set fire to the side rooms above them. So all the people in the Tower of Shechem died too, about one thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech moved on to Thebez, set up camp against it, and captured it.

51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and all the city's leaders had fled there, shut themselves inside, and climbed to the tower's roof.

52 Abimelech came to the tower to storm it. But when he approached the tower's entrance to set it on fire,