Judges 9:50

50 Then Abimelech went to the city of Thebez. He surrounded the city, attacked 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 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon, near Shechem. Abimelech took an ax and cut some branches and put them on his shoulders. He said to all those with him, "Hurry! Do what I have done!"

49 So all those men cut branches and followed Abimelech and piled them against the safest room of the temple. Then they set them on fire and burned the people inside. So all the people who were at the Tower of Shechem also died -- about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to the city of Thebez. He surrounded the city, attacked it, and captured it.

51 But inside the city was a strong tower, so all the men, women, and leaders of that city ran to the tower. When they got inside, they locked the door behind them. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.

52 Abimelech came to the tower to attack it. He approached the door of the tower to set it on fire,