Judges 9:45

Judges 9:45 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
• New International Version (NIV)All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

Context of Judges 9:45

43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in ambush in the field. And he looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote them. 44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and two of the companies ran upon all that were in the fields, and slew them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and broke down the city, and sowed it with salt. 46And all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [that], and they entered into the stronghold of the house of the god Berith. 47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.

Judges 9:45 word by word

וַאֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ נִלְחָ֣ם בָּעִ֗יר כֹּ֚ל הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וַיִּלְכֹּד֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וְאֶת־הָעָ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖הּ הָרָ֑ג וַיִּתֹּץ֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּזְרָעֶ֖הָ מֶֽלַח׃ פRead the interlinear

• Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• foughtלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• tookלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• brokeנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
• sowedזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
• saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417

Cross-references for Judges 9:45

• Judges 9:20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
• Deuteronomy 29:23[that] the whole ground thereof is brimstone and salt, [and] burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, and no grass groweth in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger and in his fury:
• 1 Kings 12:25And Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
• 2 Kings 3:25And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it, and they stopped every well of water, and felled every good tree, until they left [only] the stones at Kirhareseth; and the slingers went about it, and smote it.
• Psalms 107:34A fruitful land into a plain of salt, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
• Ezekiel 47:11But its marshes and its pools shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.
• Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, [as] I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall certainly be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the residue of my nation shall possess them.
• James 2:13for judgment [will be] without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.

Commentaries on Judges 9:45

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 45And sowed it with salt - Intending that the destruction of this city should be a perpetual memorial of his achievements. The salt was not designed to render it barren, as some have imagined; for who would think of cultivating a city? but as salt is an emblem of incorruption and perpetuity, it was no doubt designed to perpetuate the memorial of this transaction, and as a token that he wished this desolation to be eternal. This sowing a place with salt was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 45Sowed it with salt - Expressing by this action his hatred, and his wish, that when utterly destroyed as a city, it might not even be a fruitful field. Salt is the emblem of barrenness (see the marginal references).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-49Verses 30-49 Abimelech intended to punish the Schechemites for slighting him now, but God punished them for their serving him formerly in the murder of Gideon's sons. When God uses men as instruments in his hand to do his work, he means one thing, and they another. That, which they hoped would have been for their welfare, proved a snare and a trap, as those will certainly find, who run to idols for shelter; such will prove a refuge of lies. (Jdg 9:50-57)Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 45Scattering salt stopped plants from growing and caused destruction.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-4528-45. would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 9:45

• Judge
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• That Day
• Ambush
• Deserving
• Gaal
• Incline
• Jotham
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth

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