Judges 9:52

52 Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it, and he came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

Judges 9:52 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:52

And Abimelech came unto the tower
With his army to besiege it:

and fought against it;
using all the methods he could to oblige those in it to surrender:

and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire;
in order to get entrance into it; and perhaps the tower was built of stone, so that no other part could be set fire to; and to do this he drew near to the door himself, for nothing more is meant by the phrase, "went hard", than drawing near in his own person to the door; hazarding his life in the enterprise, being so bent upon it, thinking to do by this tower what he had done to the hold of the temple of Baalberith.

Judges 9:52 In-Context

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and captured it.

51 But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men, women, and lords of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up to the roof of the tower.

52 Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it, and he came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and cracked open his skull.

54 He called quickly to the young man carrying his weapons, and he said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they will not say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" So the young man stabbed him, and he died.