Judges 9:48

48 so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an ax, cut a limb off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to hurry and do the same thing.

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 all the leading men in the fort at Shechem heard about this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant.

47 Abimelech was told that they had gathered there,

48 so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an ax, cut a limb off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to hurry and do the same thing.

49 So everyone cut off a tree limb; then they followed Abimelech and piled the wood up against the stronghold. They set it on fire, with the people inside, and all the people of the fort died - about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded that city, and captured it.