God’s Word Translation
Judges 9:32
32You and your men must start out tonight. Set an ambush ⌞for them⌟ in the fields ⌞around Shechem⌟.
Judges 9:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
- New International Version (NIV)Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
Context of Judges 9:32
30Zebul, Shechem’s ruler, heard what Gaal (son of Ebed) had said, and he became angry. 31He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech. “Watch out! Gaal (son of Ebed) and his brothers have come to Shechem. They have turned the city against you. You and your men must start out tonight. Set an ambush ⌞for them⌟ in the fields ⌞around Shechem⌟. 33In the morning, when the sun rises, get up quickly and raid the city. When Gaal and his men come out to attack you, do whatever you want to him.” 34Abimelech and all his troops started out at night. He used four companies to set ambushes around Shechem.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:32 word by word
וְעַתָּה֙ ק֣וּם לַ֔יְלָה אַתָּ֖ה וְהָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתָּ֑ךְ וֶאֱרֹ֖ב בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Judges 9:32
- Job 24:14At dawn murderers rise; they kill the poor and needy. At night they become thieves.
- Psalms 36:4He invents trouble while lying on his bed and chooses to go the wrong direction. He does not reject evil.
- Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us. Let’s set an ambush to kill someone. Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.
- Proverbs 4:16Wicked people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they make someone stumble.
- Romans 3:15They run quickly to murder people.
Commentaries on Judges 9:32
- 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. 30-41The second plot, like the first (Judges 9:22–25), was stopped by an informer, likely an official appointed by the absent Abimelech. Zebul suggested a bold morning ambush, planning to lure Gaal and his followers into the open country for a confrontation. The plan succeeded. Due to his boasting and possibly Zebul’s mocking challenge, Gaal and his men ventured out, only to be driven from town by the loyal Zebul, who acted to cleanse the city.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 9:32
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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