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 tower in the midst of the city, and thither fled all the men and women, all the citizens of the city; and they shut it behind them, and went up to the roof of the tower. 52And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and he drew near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire; and a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill on Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull. 54Then he called hastily to the young man that carried his armour, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that they say not of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went every man to his place.

Judges 9:53 word by word

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

• womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• upperרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariot: millstoneH7393
• headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• crushedרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
• skullגֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶתgûlgôleth · headH1538

Cross-references for Judges 9:53

• Judges 9:15And the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow; but if not, fire shall come out of the thorn-bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
• 2 Samuel 11:21Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why did ye go near the wall? — then say thou, Thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also.
• 2 Samuel 20:21The matter is not so; but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give up him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
• Job 31:3Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?
• Jeremiah 49:20Therefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, which he hath taken against Edom, and his purposes which he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: The little ones of the flock shall certainly draw them away; he shall certainly make their habitation desolate for them.
• Jeremiah 50:45Therefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, which he hath taken against Babylon, and his purposes which he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: The little ones of the flock shall certainly draw them away; he shall certainly make their habitation desolate for 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