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So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
Judges 9:34 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
  • KJV And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
  • NKJV So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
  • NASB So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up at night, and lay in wait against Shechem, in four units.
  • NLT So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Abimelech and his men march by night and set ambush against Shechem in four companies.

Overview

Following Zebul's plan, Abimelech positions his forces for a surprise attack. Dividing into four companies, he prepares to overwhelm the city. The trap is now set for the confrontation that will execute God's judgment.

Cross-references & the web

No cross-references recorded for this verse.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Judges videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Judges 9:34YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JudgesMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.

How Judges 9:34 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.