Judges 9:51 kjv
But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
Judges 9:51 nkjv
But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women?all the people of the city?fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.
Judges 9:51 niv
Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women?all the people of the city?had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.
Judges 9:51 esv
But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower.
Judges 9:51 nlt
But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women ? the entire population ? fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower.
Judges 9 51 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jdg 9:53 | And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer... | Abimelech's humiliation: His desperate request to be killed by his armor-bearer to avoid the shame of dying by a woman's hand. |
| Jdg 9:56 | Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren. | Divine retribution: Direct statement of God's justice in Abimelech's death. |
| Jdg 9:57 | And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. | Jotham's curse fulfilled: Explicit declaration that the curse against Abimelech and Shechem came to pass. |
| Jdg 9:20 | But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem... | Jotham's prophetic curse: Foreshadows the violent ends of Abimelech and his allies. |
| Jdg 4:21 | Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples... | Woman delivering judgment: Parallels the theme of a woman defeating a powerful male enemy by unconventional means. |
| Jdg 5:24-27 | Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be... For he asked water, and she gave him milk... she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. | Praised woman warrior: Jael's praised act, another instance of a woman's unexpected prowess in delivering judgment. |
| 1 Sam 31:4-5 | Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith... So his armourbearer put it to death... And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead... | Ignominious end of a king: Saul's request for death from his armor-bearer parallels Abimelech's, both to avoid capture/further humiliation. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. | Consequence of pride: Abimelech's arrogant rise and fall exemplify this proverb. |
| Prov 29:23 | A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. | Pride brings low: Directly applies to Abimelech's eventual humbling despite his tyrannical power. |
| Dan 4:30-31 | The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built... While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven... | Humiliation of the proud: Nebuchadnezzar's prideful declaration leading to immediate divine judgment and a humbling downfall. |
| Psa 7:16 | His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. | Justice returned: The wickedness Abimelech wrought is directly returned upon his head. |
| Gal 6:7 | Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. | Reaping what is sown: Abimelech reaped the violence and murder he sowed. |
| Rom 12:19 | Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. | God's vengeance: God exercises His prerogative to repay Abimelech's evil. |
| 1 Cor 1:27-28 | But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty... | God uses the weak: A nameless woman and a simple millstone piece are God's chosen instruments to defeat a mighty oppressor. |
| Zech 4:6 | ...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. | Divine sovereignty: God's work is often accomplished through unconventional means, not human strength alone. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground... I will ascend into heaven... Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell... | Fall of the self-exalted: Satan's ambition to exalt himself resulting in a mighty fall, a spiritual parallel to Abimelech's worldly ambition. |
| Jdg 1:7 | And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. | Lex Talionis (Law of Retribution): While not identical, Adoni-Bezek acknowledges God's justice in mirroring his own cruelty. |
| Rev 18:6 | Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. | Judgment for wicked deeds: Reinforces the principle of divine judgment being proportional to wickedness. |
| 2 Sam 18:9-15 | And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak... Joab ... thrust him through the heart... | Humiliating death for an usurper: Absalom's inglorious end, trapped and then slain by Joab, also for a man who rose to power through rebellion. |
| Job 20:5-7 | The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment... yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? | Short-lived triumph of wicked: Abimelech's reign was brief and ended in destruction. |
Judges 9 verses
Judges 9 51 Meaning
Judges 9:51 recounts the pivotal moment of Abimelech’s downfall during his siege of the tower in Thebez. A certain woman, an unnamed inhabitant of the besieged tower, takes decisive action by casting a heavy piece of an upper millstone from above. This projectile strikes Abimelech directly on his head, fatally fracturing his skull. This act represents divine judgment against Abimelech for his atrocities and fulfills the curse pronounced by Jotham.
Judges 9 51 Context
Judges chapter 9 recounts the tragic and violent reign of Abimelech, the illegitimate son of Gideon by his concubine. After Gideon's death, Abimelech conspired with the men of Shechem to make himself king, brutally murdering all but one of his seventy brothers on a single stone to eliminate rivals to the throne. Only Jotham, the youngest, escaped and delivered a powerful fable of trees seeking a king, concluding with a curse against Abimelech and the men of Shechem—that "fire" would consume both. After three years of Abimelech's oppressive rule, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, leading to conflict. Abimelech ultimately destroyed Shechem and the Tower of Shechem, where many had sought refuge, fulfilling the first part of Jotham's curse. The events in Judges 9:51 occur immediately after this, as Abimelech moves on to attack the city of Thebez. Its inhabitants likewise fled to a strong tower within the city for safety. Abimelech intended to repeat his actions from Shechem by setting fire to the tower to kill everyone inside. It is at this moment that a woman intervenes, preventing his intended triumph and bringing about his ignominious end. This event highlights the chaotic and morally desolate nature of Israel during the period of the Judges, where human kingship arose out of treachery rather than divine appointment.
Judges 9 51 Word analysis
But (וְאִשָּׁה - wə'ishshah): The conjunction "But" signals a shift or counterpoint to the previous narrative flow. It introduces an unexpected element that dramatically alters the trajectory of events, moving from Abimelech's successful assault on the city to his sudden defeat.
a certain woman (אִשָּׁה - 'ishshah): "Ishah" means woman. The Hebrew simply states "a woman." Her anonymity is highly significant. It emphasizes that Abimelech, a self-proclaimed king, warrior, and tyrant, is not brought down by a great army or a mighty warrior, but by an individual who holds no conventional status in battle or leadership. This anonymity magnifies divine intervention, showing God uses the overlooked to humble the proud, directly challenging the ancient Near Eastern warrior ethos.
cast (הִשְׁלִיכָה - hishlikhah): From the root shalakh, meaning "to throw, to cast down, to hurl." The Hiphil perfect tense indicates a completed, decisive action. This was a deliberate and forceful act, not accidental. It speaks to the woman's agency and determination.
a piece of a millstone (פֶּלַח רֶכֶב - pelaḥ rekheḇ):
- Pelaḥ (slice, fragment, part).
- Rekheḇ (upper millstone, literally "rider," as it "rides" on the lower stone). Millstones were indispensable household implements used for grinding grain. The upper stone was very heavy, often made of rough basalt, weighing many pounds (several kilograms). To be struck by such a piece, especially when dropped from a height, would be devastating. This object's mundane nature as a household tool, turned into a lethal weapon by a woman, further underscores Abimelech's humiliation, as he is vanquished by a domestic item rather than a weapon of war. It transforms the common into an instrument of divine judgment.
upon Abimelech's head (עַל רֹאשׁ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ - ‘al rō'š 'ăḇîmeleḵ): The head is a vulnerable target and symbolically represents power, leadership, and thought. To strike someone on the head is a direct assault on their being and authority. For a tyrannical 'king' like Abimelech, a blow to the head is a symbolic destruction of his usurped dominion. The precision implied points to God's precise targeting.
and all to brake his skull (וַתָּרֶץ אֶת גֻּלְגֻּלְתּוֹ - wattāraṣ 'et gulgultō):
- Wattāraṣ (from the root raṣaṣ - to break, to crush, to smash). This verb describes a violent and complete shattering.
- Gulgultō (his skull). "Gulgollet" is "skull" or "cranium." The description indicates a fatal, utterly destructive blow to the hardest bone of the body, confirming the severity and immediate effectiveness of the weapon. This signifies a decisive and final end to his life and tyrannical ambitions.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "But a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone": This phrase dramatically introduces the agent and instrument of Abimelech's doom. The emphasis on "a certain woman" highlights God's choice to use the "unlikely" and the "unseen" to bring about judgment, subverting the expectations of a patriarchal warrior society. The "piece of a millstone," a mundane and domestic object, underscores the profound humiliation for a military leader like Abimelech, showcasing God's ability to use the simple to defeat the powerful.
- "upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull": This details the precision and severity of the blow. The specific target, Abimelech's "head," signifies the direct assault on his authority and his life, while the act of "breaking his skull" ensures his devastating and unrecoverable injury, signaling the complete collapse of his self-appointed rule and person. This specific outcome perfectly embodies the destructive "fire" that Jotham prophesied would consume Abimelech.
Judges 9 51 Bonus section
- Parallels to Jael and Sisera: The narrative deliberately draws parallels to the account of Jael killing Sisera in Judges 4-5. In both instances, an Israelite woman, outside the traditional role of a warrior, employs a common household item (tent peg vs. millstone piece) to decisively defeat a powerful enemy commander, resulting in their humiliating demise. These accounts serve to highlight the effectiveness of God working through unexpected means and people, particularly women who courageously participate in divine justice.
- The Irony of Ambition: Abimelech's very name, "my father is king," indicates his inherent desire for kingship, yet his rule brings chaos and ultimately leads to his own inglorious end. His attempt to establish monarchy through violence completely backfired, demonstrating that human ambition devoid of divine appointment leads to ruin.
- Impact on the Concept of Kingship: Abimelech's bloody reign and humiliating death served as a cautionary tale against seeking kingship apart from God's design. It emphasized the importance of a true leader embodying justice, not tyrannical power, influencing later narratives concerning the selection and roles of Israel's kings. His story contrasts starkly with God's later choice of Saul and David.
Judges 9 51 Commentary
Judges 9:51 encapsulates the divine retribution for Abimelech's heinous actions. His death by the hands of an anonymous woman and a piece of a millstone is deeply symbolic and ironic. Abimelech, who ruthlessly murdered his seventy brothers and sought power through bloodshed and deceit, met an end that deprived him of any pretense of a heroic or dignified warrior's death. This ignominious defeat by a nameless woman using a household tool highlights God's sovereign power to use the weakest and most unexpected instruments to humble the proud and execute justice. It directly fulfills Jotham's curse (Jdg 9:20), showing that no one is above God's judgment. The subsequent request by Abimelech to his armor-bearer to deliver a final, more 'honorable' blow underscores the depth of his humiliation at being brought low by a woman. The passage ultimately testifies to the truth that evil and violence are self-destructive, and divine justice will inevitably prevail.