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Judges 9:42-57
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

42 On the following day the people went out into the fields. When Abimelech was told, 43 he took his troops and divided them into three companies and lay in wait in the fields. When he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, he rose against them and killed them. 44 Abimelech and the company that was[a] with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed on all who were in the fields and killed them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.(A)

46 When all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.(B) 47 Abimelech was told that all the lords of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the troops who were with him. Abimelech took an ax in his hand, cut down a bundle of brushwood, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the troops with him, “What you have seen me do, do quickly, as I have done.”(C) 49 So every one of the troops cut down a bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it.(D) 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the lords of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.(E) 54 Immediately he called to the young man who carried his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so people will not say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So the young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. 56 Thus God repaid Abimelech for the crime he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers;(F) 57 and God also made all the wickedness of the people of Shechem fall back on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.44 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb companies that were
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Judges 9:42-57
New English Translation

42 The next day the Shechemites[a] came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it,[b] 43 he took his men[c] and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city,[d] he attacked and struck them down.[e] 44 Abimelech and his units[f] attacked and blocked[g] the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled[h] the city and spread salt over it.[i]

46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem[j] heard the news, they went to the stronghold[k] of the temple of El Berith.[l] 47 Abimelech heard[m] that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place.[n] 48 He and all his men[o] went up on Mount Zalmon. He[p] took an ax[q] in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it[r] on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”[s] 49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches[t] against the stronghold and set fire to it.[u] All the people[v] of the Tower of Shechem died—about 1,000 men and women.

50 Abimelech moved on[w] to Thebez; he besieged and captured it.[x] 51 There was a fortified[y] tower[z] in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman threw an upper millstone[aa] down on his[ab] head and shattered his skull. 54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons,[ac] “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say,[ad] ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.[ae]

56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half brothers.[af] 57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub Baal fell[ag] on them.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:42 tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Judges 9:42 tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”
  3. Judges 9:43 tn Heb “his people.”
  4. Judges 9:43 tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”
  5. Judges 9:43 tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”
  6. Judges 9:44 tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”
  7. Judges 9:44 tn Heb “stood [at].”
  8. Judges 9:45 tn Or “destroyed.”
  9. Judges 9:45 tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”sn The spreading of salt over the city was probably a symbolic act designed to place the site under a curse, deprive it of fertility, and prevent any future habitation. The practice is referred to outside the Bible as well. For example, one of the curses in the Aramaic Sefire treaty states concerning Arpad: “May Hadad sow in them salt and weeds, and may it not be mentioned again!” See J. A. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire (BibOr), 15, 53. Deut 29:23, Jer 17:6, and Zeph 2:9 associate salt flats or salty regions with infertility and divine judgment.
  10. Judges 9:46 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
  11. Judges 9:46 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.
  12. Judges 9:46 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
  13. Judges 9:47 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
  14. Judges 9:47 tn Heb “were assembled.”
  15. Judges 9:48 tn Heb “his people.”
  16. Judges 9:48 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
  17. Judges 9:48 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
  18. Judges 9:48 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
  19. Judges 9:48 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
  20. Judges 9:49 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  21. Judges 9:49 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
  22. Judges 9:49 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
  23. Judges 9:50 tn Or “went.”
  24. Judges 9:50 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
  25. Judges 9:51 tn Or “strong.”
  26. Judges 9:51 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
  27. Judges 9:53 sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.
  28. Judges 9:53 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
  29. Judges 9:54 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  30. Judges 9:54 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  31. Judges 9:55 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
  32. Judges 9:56 tn Heb “seventy brothers.”
  33. Judges 9:57 tn Heb “came.”
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Judges 9:42-57
New International Version

42 The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. 43 So he took his men, divided them into three companies(A) and set an ambush(B) in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. 44 Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. 45 All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city(C) and scattered salt(D) over it.

46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple(E) of El-Berith. 47 When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon.(F) He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

50 Next Abimelek went to Thebez(G) and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.(H)

54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me,(I) so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.

56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness.(J) The curse of Jotham(K) son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

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