And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and came near to 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 smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
- 2 Kgs 14:10Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
- Judg 9:48–49And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye 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
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