New Living Translation
Judges 9:43
43he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them.
Judges 9:43 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
- New International Version (NIV)So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them.
Context of Judges 9:43
41Abimelech returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields to battle. When Abimelech heard about it, he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them. 44Abimelech and his group stormed the city gate to keep the men of Shechem from getting back in, while Abimelech’s other two groups cut them down in the fields. 45The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:43 word by word
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָעָ֗ם וַֽיֶּחֱצֵם֙ לִשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁ֔ים וַיֶּאֱרֹ֖ב בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה הָעָם֙ יֹצֵ֣א מִן־הָעִ֔יר וַיָּ֥קָם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם וַיַּכֵּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- and dividedחָצָהchâtsâh · to divideH2673
- them into threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- companiesרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: groupH7218
- and laid waitאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
- in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- and lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- come forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- out of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and he rose upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- against them, and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
Commentaries on Judges 9:43
- 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. 43-45Abimelech lost any right to be seen as an inspired leader. He ordered his men to attack the people of Shechem, killing them all and destroying 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 9:43
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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