Judges 9:37

And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

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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
spake	לְדַבֵּר֒ le.da.Ber	H1696	perhaps properly · preposition + verb, piel infinitive construct
again	וַיֹּ֨סֶף vai.Yo.sef	H3254	to add or augment (often adverbial · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֕אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
come	יֽוֹרְדִ֔ים yor.Dim	H3381	to descend (literally · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
people	עָם֙ 'am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
down	יָרַד yârad	H3381	to descend (literally
middle	טַבּ֣וּר ta.Bur	H2872	properly · noun, common masculine singular construct
land	הָאָ֑רֶץ ha.'A.retz	H776	the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
another	אֶחָ֣ד 'e.Chad	H259	properly · noun, common feminine singular absolute
company	וְרֹאשׁ ve.rosh-	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular absolute
come	בָּ֔א Ba'	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
plain	אֵל֥וֹן 'e.Lon	H436	an oak or other strong tree · noun, common masculine singular construct
of	מִדֶּ֖רֶךְ mi.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
Meonenim	מְעוֹנְנִֽים me.'o.Nim	H6049	figuratively · verb, piel active participle, 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

Deuteronomy 18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath no…

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 9:37

And Gaal spake again, and said,.... Looking towards the mountains, and taking another view of what he before saw, for further satisfaction: see, there come people down by the middle of the land; either in the valley between the two mountains; or rather those he first saw on the top of the mountains were now come down about the middle of them, called in the Hebrew text the navel, from the prominence of the mountains thereabout, or because the navel is in the middle of the body, as this part of them was the middle on which he saw them. R. Isaiah interprets it, between the two cities: and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim; of which we read nowhere else. Montanus renders it,…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:37

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).
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;…
Meonenim — (Judg. 9:37; A.V., “the plain of Meonenim;” R.V., “the oak of Meonenim”) means properly “soothsayers” or “sorcerers,” “wizards” (Deut. 18:10, 14; 2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12). This may be the oak at…
Plains — This one term does duty in the Authorized Version for no less than seven distinct Hebrew words.
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
Meonenim · A place in Ephraim — A place in Ephraim
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 9:37

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:37

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 9:37

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:37

Dictionary and topics

Rashi on Judges 9:37