When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
Parallel translations
- KJV And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
- BSB On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
- ESV When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith.
- NKJV Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.
- NASB When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard about it, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
- NLT When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal-berith.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
The men of the tower of Shechem retreat into the stronghold of the temple of El-berith. They flee to their false god for refuge.
Overview
Survivors take shelter in the fortified temple of Baal-berith (El-berith), the covenant-god whose silver had funded Abimelech's rise (9:4). Seeking safety in an idol's house, they find none. Their misplaced trust exposes the helplessness of false gods to save, in pointed contrast to the LORD who is a true refuge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Judg 8:33As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.
- Ps 115:8Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
- Judg 9:4They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
- Isa 37:38As he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kgs 8:26“Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.
- Isa 28:15–18“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’”
- 2 Kgs 1:2–4Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this sickness.”
- Judg 9:27They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
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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 9:46 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.