Judges 9:36

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Gaal	גַּעַל֮ ga.'Al	H1603	Gaal · proper noun, a man's name
saw	וַיַּרְא vai.yar'-	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
people	הָעָם֒ ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Zebul	זְבֻ֔ל ze.Vul	H2083	Zebul · proper noun, a man's name
come	יוֹרֵ֔ד yo.Red	H3381	to descend (literally · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
people	עָ֣ם 'am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
down	יָרַד yârad	H3381	to descend (literally
top	מֵרָאשֵׁ֖י me.ra.Shei	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
mountains	הֶהָרִ֑ים he.ha.Rim	H2022	a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figurative… · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Zebul	זְבֻ֔ל ze.Vul	H2083	Zebul · proper noun, a man's name
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
seest	רֹאֶ֖ה ro.'Eh	H7200	to see · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
shadow	צֵ֧ל tzel	H6738	shade · noun, common masculine singular construct
mountains	הֶהָרִ֛ים he.ha.Rim	H2022	a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figurative… · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
men	כָּאֲנָשִֽׁים ka.'a.na.Shim	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ezekiel 7:7 The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of…
Mark 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:22-49

Three years Abimelech reigned, after a sort, without any disturbance; it is not said, He judged Israel, or did any service at all to his country, but so long he enjoyed the title and dignity of a king; and not only the Shechemites, but many other places, paid him respect. They must have been fond of a king that could please themselves with such a one as this. But the triumphing of the wicked is short. Within three years, as the years of a hireling, all this glory shall be contemned, and laid in the dust, Isa 16:14. The ruin of these confederates in wickedness was from the righteous hand of the God to whom vengeance belongs. He sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Jdg 9:…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:28

would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.

John Gill on Judges 9:36

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,.... Who was up as early, and came to the gate of the city, to see how things went, and whether there was any appearance of Abimelech and his forces, and whether any opportunity offered to let him into the city; and it seems as if he came and stood by Gaul, and appeared friendly with him: behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains; the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim, which were near to Shechem: and Zebul said unto him, thou seest the shadow of the mountains, as if they were men; either deriding him, as being just out of his bed, and his eyes scarce open, that he could not discern shadows from men; or rather as being of such a…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:35-36

Dictionary and topics

Ambush — Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Josh. 8:4-26). Shechem was taken in this manner (Judg. 9:30-45. Comp. Jer. 51:12).
Field — (Heb. sadeh), a cultivated field, but unenclosed. It is applied to any cultivated ground or pasture (Gen. 29:2; 31:4; 34:7), or tillage (Gen. 37:7; 47:24). It is also applied to woodland (Ps. 132:6)…
Gaal — Loathing, the son of Ebed, in whom the Shechemites “placed their confidence” when they became discontented with Abimelech. He headed the revolution, and led out the men of Shechem against Abimelech;…
Shechem — Shoulder. (1.) The son of Hamor the Hivite (Gen. 33:19; 34). (2.) A descendant of Manasseh (Num. 26:31; Josh. 17:2). (3.) A city in Samaria (Gen. 33:18), called also Sichem (12:6), Sychem (Acts…
Zebul — Habitation, the governor of Shechem under Abimelech (Judg. 9:28, 30, 36). He informed his master of the intention of the people of Shechem to transfer their allegiance to the Hivite tribe of Hamor.…
Conspiracy · .Gaal, against Abimelech — .Gaal, against Abimelech
Zebul · An officer of Abimelech — An officer of Abimelech

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:22-49

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:28

John Gill on Judges 9:36

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:35-36

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:22-49

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:28

John Gill on Judges 9:36

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:35-36

Dictionary and topics

Rashi on Judges 9:34