Judges 9:52

52 And Abimelech drew near to the tower, and they besieged it; and Abimelech drew near to the door 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 And Abimelech went out of Baethel-berith, and encamped against Thebes, and took it.

51 And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city; and thither all the men and the women of the city fled, and shut without them, and went up on the roof of the tower.

52 And Abimelech drew near to the tower, and they besieged it; and Abimelech drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 And a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.

54 And he cried out quickly to the young man his armour-bearer, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, lest at any time they should say, A woman slew him: and his young man thrust him through and he died.