New Living Translation
Judges 9:37
37But again Gaal said, “No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak.”
Judges 9:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
- New International Version (NIV)But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”
Context of Judges 9:37
35Gaal was standing at the city gates when Abimelech and his army came out of hiding. 36When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, there are people coming down from the hilltops!” Zebul replied, “It’s just the shadows on the hills that look like men.” But again Gaal said, “No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak.” 38Then Zebul turned on him and asked, “Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn’t it you that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?’ The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!” 39So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:37 word by word
וַיֹּ֨סֶף ע֣וֹד גַּעַל֮ לְדַבֵּר֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּה־עָם֙ יֽוֹרְדִ֔ים מֵעִ֖ם טַבּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְרֹאשׁ־אֶחָ֣ד בָּ֔א מִדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֵל֥וֹן מְעוֹנְנִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Gaalגַּ֫עַלga‛al · GaalH1603
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- againיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- See there comeיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- by the middleטַבּוּרţabbûr · highestH2872
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and anotherאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- companyרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: groupH7218
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- along by the plainאֵלוֹן'êlôn · (Diviners') OakH436
- ofדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: directionH1870
- Meonenimעָנַן‛ânan · Diviners' (Oak)H6049
Cross-references for Judges 9:37
Commentaries on Judges 9:37
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37By the plain of Meonenim - Some translate, by the way of the oaks, or oaken groves; others, by the way of the magicians, or regarders of the times, as in our margin. Probably it was a place in which augurs and soothsayers dwelt.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37The plain of Meonenim - Translate “the oak of the soothsayers” (see the margin). Some well-known oak, so called, but which is not mentioned elsewhere.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. 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 9:37
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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