New English Translation
Judges 9:48
48He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon. He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”
Judges 9:48 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
- New International Version (NIV)he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”
Context of Judges 9:48
46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard the news, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon. He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 49So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the stronghold and set fire to it. All the people of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women. 50Abimelech moved on to Thebez; he besieged and captured it.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:48 word by word
וַיַּ֨עַל אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ הַר־צַלְמ֗וֹן הוּא֮ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ֒ וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ אֶת־הַקַּרְדֻּמּ֜וֹת בְּיָד֗וֹ וַיִּכְרֹת֙ שׂוֹכַ֣ת עֵצִ֔ים וַיִּ֨שָּׂאֶ֔הָ וַיָּ֖שֶׂם עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אֶל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֗וֹ מָ֤ה רְאִיתֶם֙ עָשִׂ֔יתִי מַהֲר֖וּ עֲשׂ֥וּ כָמֽוֹנִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- gat him upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- Zalmonצַלְמוֹןtsalmôn · (Mount) ZalmonH6756
- he and all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- an axeקַרְדֹּםqardôm · axeH7134
- in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- and cut downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
- a boughשׂוֹכָהώôk ώôkâh · branchH7754
- from the treesעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- and tookנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- it, and laidשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- on his shoulderשְׁכֶםshekem · shoulderH7926
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- with him, What ye have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- me doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- make hasteמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
- as Iכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644
Cross-references for Judges 9:48
- Psalms 68:14When the sovereign judge scatters kings, let it snow on Zalmon!
- Judges 7:17He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do!
- Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us! We will lie in wait to shed blood; we will ambush an innocent person capriciously.
Commentaries on Judges 9:48
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48Zalmon - A lofty and thickly-wooded hill, as the etymology of the name (“shady”) implies, in the immediate neighborhood of Shechem: perhaps the same as Ebal. The setting fire to the hold, where the men of Shechem were all crowded together, with their wives and children, was the literal fulfillment of Jotham‘s curse in Judges 9:20.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. 48Mount Zalmon is likely another name for Mount Ebal. It is the mountain opposite Gerizim and near Shechem.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 9:48
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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