Judges 9:45

Judges 9:45 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
• New International Version (NIV)All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

Context of Judges 9:45

43So he took his people, divided them into three columns, and lay in ambush in the field. When he looked and saw the people were coming out of the city, he pounced on them and struck them down. 44Then Abimelech and the column that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and the other two columns rushed on all who were in the open field and struck them down. So Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured the city and killed the people that were in it. Then he razed the city and sowed it with salt. 46Now when all the lords of Shechem’s Tower heard about it, they went into the vault of the temple of El-berith. 47When Abimelech was told that all the lords of Shechem’s Tower had gathered there,

Judges 9:45 word by word

וַאֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ נִלְחָ֣ם בָּעִ֗יר כֹּ֚ל הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וַיִּלְכֹּד֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וְאֶת־הָעָ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖הּ הָרָ֑ג וַיִּתֹּץ֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּזְרָעֶ֖הָ מֶֽלַח׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• foughtלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• against the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• all that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and he tookלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• therein, and beat downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
• and sowedזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
• it with saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417

Cross-references for Judges 9:45

• Judges 9:20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech!”
• Deuteronomy 29:23“All the nations will say, ‘Why has Adonai done this to this land? Why this great burning anger?’
• 1 Kings 12:25Then Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and resided there. From there he went out and built Penuel.
• 2 Kings 3:25They destroyed the cities. Also each man threw his stone onto every good field and covered it. They stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees—until nothing was left except Kir-hareseth with the stones of its wall. However, the slingers encircled it and struck it down.
• Psalms 107:34and a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
• Ezekiel 47:11Its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be set aside for salt.
• Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, as I live, declares Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, Moab will be like Sodom and Ammon like Gomorrah— a possession of weeds and a salt pit, a perpetual wasteland. The remainder of My people will plunder them. The remnant of My nation will dispossess them.
• James 2:13For judgment is merciless to the one who does not show mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Commentaries on Judges 9:45

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 45And sowed it with salt - Intending that the destruction of this city should be a perpetual memorial of his achievements. The salt was not designed to render it barren, as some have imagined; for who would think of cultivating a city? but as salt is an emblem of incorruption and perpetuity, it was no doubt designed to perpetuate the memorial of this transaction, and as a token that he wished this desolation to be eternal. This sowing a place with salt was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 45Sowed it with salt - Expressing by this action his hatred, and his wish, that when utterly destroyed as a city, it might not even be a fruitful field. Salt is the emblem of barrenness (see the marginal references).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. 45Scattering salt stopped plants from growing and caused destruction.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 9:45

• Judge
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• That Day
• Ambush
• Deserving
• Gaal
• Incline
• Jotham
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth

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