EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Judges 9:49
49So all the men cut branches and they followed Abimelech. They put the branches around the strong building. Then they brought fire to burn down the building. There were about 1,000 men and women in the tower of Shechem. They all died in the fire.
Judges 9:49 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So every one of the people cut down his 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 1,000 men and women.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
Context of Judges 9:49
47Somebody told Abimelech that all the leaders were there together in the temple. 48He took all his men up to Mount Zalmon. He used an axe to cut some branches off a tree. He put the branches on his shoulders. Then he said to his men, ‘Be quick! Do the same thing as you have seen me do!’ So all the men cut branches and they followed Abimelech. They put the branches around the strong building. Then they brought fire to burn down the building. There were about 1,000 men and women in the tower of Shechem. They all died in the fire. 50Then Abimelech and his men went to Thebez. They made their camp around the city to attack it. 51There was a strong tower in the middle of the city. All the leaders of the city, as well as all the men and women, ran there to hide. They locked the door. They went up onto the roof of the tower.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:49 word by word
וַיִּכְרְת֨וּ גַם־כָּל־הָעָ֜ם אִ֣ישׁ שׂוֹכֹ֗ה וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ אַחֲרֵ֤י אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עַֽל־הַצְּרִ֔יחַ וַיַּצִּ֧יתוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם אֶֽת־הַצְּרִ֖יחַ בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיָּמֻ֜תוּ גַּ֣ם כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֧י מִֽגְדַּל־שְׁכֶ֛ם כְּאֶ֖לֶף אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשָּֽׁה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- likewise cut downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- his boughשׂוֹךְώôk ώôkâh · branchH7754
- and followedאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- and followedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- to the holdצְרִיחַtserîyach · excavationH6877
- and setיָצַתyâtsath · to kindleH3341
- on fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- upon them; so that all the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- of the towerמִגְדָּלmigdâl migdâlâh · towerH4026
- of Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
- diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- also, about a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
Cross-references for Judges 9:49
- Judges 9:15The thorn bush said to the trees, “If you really want to choose me as your king, come here. Hide under my branches to keep safe. If not, I will cause fire to come out from the thorn bush. It will burn up all the big cedar trees in Lebanon!”
- Galatians 5:15So you must not live like wild animals. Wild animals fight and they eat each other. If you live like that, be very careful! You may destroy one another completely.
- James 3:16If you are jealous of other people and you want to make yourself important, that will cause trouble. People will argue and fight against one another. They will do all kinds of bad things.
Commentaries on Judges 9:49
- 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. 46-49The leaders (literally lords) of Shechem, who first plotted against Abimelech, gathered in the temple of Baal-berith. The temple then burned around them. Archaeologists have confirmed this destruction at the site.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-4922. When Abimelech had reigned three years--His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:49
In the dictionaries
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
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