Giudici 9:31

31 E cautamente mandò messi ad Abimelec, a dirgli: Ecco, Gaal, figliuolo di Ebed, e i suoi fratelli, son venuti in Sichem; ed ecco, stringono la città contro a te.

Giudici 9:31 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:31

And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily
In a secret manner, unknown to Gaal and the men of Shechem; or "craftily", as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, still dissembling, notwithstanding his anger, to be in the interest of Gaal, and the men of Shechem, as appears indeed afterwards by a show of friendliness with Gaal, ( Judges 9:36 ) though, according to Joseph Kimchi and Ben Gersom, Thormah is the name of the place where Abimelech was, the same with Arumah, ( Judges 9:41 ) and the sense is, that he sent messengers to Abimelech at Thormah or Arumah:

saying, Gaal the son of Ebal, and his brethren, be come to Shechem;
a family that Abimelech well knew, and if they were of the race of the old Canaanites, he would easily perceive their design:

and, behold, they fortify the city against thee;
by repairing its fortifications, or adding new works; or "besiege" ^F9 it, which, as that is done by placing an army around it without, that none can come out of it, so by setting a watch within, and upon the walls, and at the gates of it, that none can come in, which is here meant; though some interpret it of their design to besiege the city Thormah, where Abimelech was, of which he gives him notice; or rather they set the city against thee, make the inhabitants thine enemies.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Myru) "obsident", Pagninus, Munster, Drusius; "obsidere cogitant", Piscator.

Giudici 9:31 In-Context

29 Oh! fossemi pur data questa gente sotto la mia condotta, io caccerei Abimelec. Poi disse ad Abimelec: Accresci pure il tuo esercito, e vien fuori.

30 E Zebul, capitano della città, avendo udite le parole di Gaal, figliuolo di Ebed, si accese nell’ira.

31 E cautamente mandò messi ad Abimelec, a dirgli: Ecco, Gaal, figliuolo di Ebed, e i suoi fratelli, son venuti in Sichem; ed ecco, stringono la città contro a te.

32 Ora, dunque, levati di notte, con la gente ch’è teco, e poni agguati nella campagna;

33 e domattina a buon’ora, in sul levar del sole, levati, e fa’ una correria sopra la città; ed ecco, egli e la gente ch’è con lui, uscirà incontro a te, e tu gli farai secondo che ti occorrerà.