Judges 9:52

52 And Abimelech, coming near the tower, fought stoutly: and, approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it:

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, departing from thence, came to the town of Thebes, which he surrounded and besieged with his army.

51 And there was in the midst of the city a high tower, to which both the men and the women were fled together, and all the princes of the city, and having shut and strongly barred the gate, they stood upon the battlements of the tower to defend themselves.

52 And Abimelech, coming near the tower, fought stoutly: and, approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it:

53 And behold, a certain woman casting a piece of a millstone from above, dashed it against the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.

54 And he called hastily to his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest it should be said that I was slain by a woman. He did as he was commanded, and slew him.