Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and came near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Parallel translations
- KJV And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
- BSB When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.
- NKJV So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
- NASB So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire.
- NLT Abimelech followed them to attack the tower. But as he prepared to set fire to the entrance,
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 assaults the tower and approaches the door to burn it. He repeats the tactic that succeeded at Shechem.
Overview
Confident from his earlier victory, Abimelech presses close to the tower's door to set it on fire. His boldness brings him within reach of those above. The moment of his apparent triumph is precisely where God's judgment is poised to strike him down.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Kgs 15:16Then Menahem attacked Tiphsah, and all who were in it, and its border areas, from Tirzah. He attacked it because they didn’t open their gates to him, and he ripped up all their women who were with child.
- 2 Kgs 14:10You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you fall, even you, and Judah with you?’”
- Judg 9:48–49Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done!”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 9:52 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.