Judges 9:53

Judges 9:53 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.
• New International Version (NIV)a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.

Context of Judges 9:53

51But there was a strong (fortified) tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire. But a certain woman threw an upper millstone [down] on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. 54Then he called quickly to the young man who was his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home.

Judges 9:53 word by word

וַתַּשְׁלֵ֞ךְ אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחַ֛ת פֶּ֥לַח רֶ֖כֶב עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַתָּ֖רִץ אֶת־גֻּלְגָּלְתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And a certainאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• a pieceפֶּ֫לַחpelach · millstoneH6400
• of a millstoneרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariot: millstoneH7393
• upon Abimelech’sאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• and all to brakeרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
• his skullגֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶתgûlgôleth · headH1538

Cross-references for Judges 9:53

• Judges 9:15So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
• 2 Samuel 11:21Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ ”
• 2 Samuel 20:21That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand [in rebellion] against King David. Only hand him over, and I will leave the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.”
• Job 31:3Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust And disaster to those who work wickedness?
• Jeremiah 49:20Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has devised against Edom, and [hear] what He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will be dragged away, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their dwelling place desolate because of them.
• Jeremiah 50:45Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has devised against Babylon, and hear what He has purposed against [the inhabitants of the land of] the Chaldeans: surely they will be dragged away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their habitation desolate because of them.

Commentaries on Judges 9:53

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 53A piece of a millstone - רכב פלח pelach recheb, a piece of a chariot wheel; but the word is used in other places for upper millstones, and is so understood here by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic. And all to break his skull - A most nonsensical version of גלגלתו את ותרץ vattarits eth gulgolto, which is literally, And she brake, or fractured, his skull. Plutarch, in his life of Pyrrhus, observes that this king was killed at the siege of Thebes…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 53The phrase “all” to is now obsolete, and means “quite,” “entirely,” as in Chaucer, Spenser, and Milton.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 50-57Verses 50-57 The Shechemites were ruined by Abimelech; now he is reckoned with, who was their leader in villany. Evil pursues sinners, and sometimes overtakes them, when not only at ease, but triumphant. Though wickedness may prosper a while, it will not prosper always. The history of mankind, if truly told, would greatly resemble that of this chapter. The records of what are called splendid events present to us such contests for power. Such scenes…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 53Women often ground grain using a stationary lower millstone. They turned a lighter upper millstone by hand. This method is mentioned in the story of David's murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 51-5351-53. all the men and women, ... gat them up to the top of the tower--The Canaanite forts were generally mountain fastnesses or keeps, and they often had a strong tower which served as a last refuge. The Assyrian bas-reliefs afford counterparts of the scene here described so vivid and exact, that we might almost suppose them to be representations of the same historic events. The besieged city--the strong tower within--the men and women crowding its…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 9:53

• Judge
• Judgments
• Millstone
• Thebez
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Deserving
• Incline
• Merry
• Middle
• Mill
• Mouth
• Parable
• Thebez
• Abdon (1)

Commentaries on Judges 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary