Judges 9:46-56

46 All the citizens of Shechem's Tower heard about it and went into the basement of the temple of El Berith.

47 When Abimelech was told that they had gathered there,

48 he and all his men went to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took an ax, cut some brushwood, and carried it on his shoulder. He told his men, "Hurry and do what you've seen me do!"

49 So all his troops also cut brushwood and followed Abimelech. They piled the brushwood on top of the basement and set it on fire with the people inside. So all the people in Shechem's Tower died too. There were about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped there, and captured it.

51 Now, there was a strong tower inside the town. All the men, women, and leaders of the town fled to it. They locked the door behind them and went up on the roof of the tower.

52 Abimelech came to the tower. He began to fight against it and went near the entrance of the tower to burn it down.

53 Then a woman threw a small millstone that hit Abimelech on the head and cracked his skull.

54 He quickly called his armorbearer. He told him, "Take your sword and kill me! I don't want anyone to say, 'A woman killed Abimelech.'" His armorbearer did as he said, so Abimelech died.

55 When the people of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

56 So God paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father when he killed his 70 brothers.

Judges 9:46-56 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 9

This chapter contains an account of the craft and cruelty of Abimelech, by which he got himself made king of the Shechemites, Jud 9:1-6 of the parable of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, concerning the trees, in which he exposes their folly in making Abimelech king, and foretells the ruin of them both, Jud 9:7-21 of the contentions which arose between Abimelech, and the men of Shechem, increased by Gaal the son of Ebed, Jud 9:22-29 who was drawn into a battle with Abimelech, and beaten and forced to fly, Jud 9:30-41 but the quarrel between Abimelech and the men of Shechem ceased not, but still continued, which issued in the entire ruin of the city and the inhabitants of it, Jud 9:42-49 and in the death of Abimelech himself, according to Jotham's curse, Jud 9:50-57.