Judges 9:51

But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
strong	עֹז֮ 'oz	H5797	strength in various applications (force · noun, common masculine singular absolute
tower	וּמִגְדַּל u.mig.dal-	H4026	a tower (from its size or height) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct
within	בְתוֹךְ ve.tokh-	H8432	a bisection · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
city	הָעִיר֒ ha.'Ir	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
fled	וַיָּנֻ֨סוּ vai.ya.Nu.su	H5127	to flit · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
men	הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים ha.'a.na.Shim	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
women	וְהַנָּשִׁ֗ים ve.ha.na.Shim	H802	a woman · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
they	בַּעֲלֵ֣י ba.'a.Lei	H1167	a master · noun, common masculine plural construct
city	הָעִ֔יר ha.'Ir	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
shut	וַֽיִּסְגְּר֖וּ vai.yis.ge.Ru	H5462	to shut up · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
up	וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּ vai.ya.'a.Lu	H5927	to ascend · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
top	גַּ֥ג gag	H1406	a roof · noun, common masculine singular construct
tower	הַמִּגְדָּֽל ha.mig.Dal	H4026	a tower (from its size or height) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular 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).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:50–end

We have seen the ruin of the Shechemites completed by the hand of Abimelech; and now it comes to his turn to be reckoned with who was their leader in villany. Thebez was a small city, probably not far from Shechem, dependent upon it, and in confederacy with it. Now, I. Abimelech attempted the destruction of this city (Jdg 9:50), drove all the inhabitants of the town into the castle, or citadel, Jdg 9:51. When he had them there he did not doubt but he should do the same execution here that he had lately done at the strong-hold of the temple of Baal-berith, not considering that the tower of an idol-temple lay more exposed to divine vengeance than any other tower. He attempted to set fire to th…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:51

all the men and women, . . . gat them up to the top of the tower--The Canaanite forts were generally mountain fastnesses or keeps, and they often had a strong tower which served as a last refuge. The Assyrian bas-reliefs afford counterparts of the scene here described so vivid and exact, that we might almost suppose them to be representations of the same historic events. The besieged city--the strong tower within--the men and women crowding its battlements--the fire applied to the doors, and even the huge fragments of stone dropping from the hands of one of the garrison on the heads of the assailants, are all well represented to the life--just as they are here described in the narrative of i…

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John Gill on Judges 9:51

But there was a strong tower within the city,.... The tower of Shechem was without the city, but this within, as towers generally are: and hither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city; men, women, and children, man and maid servants, all the inhabitants of the city; the tower being a large place, having not only many rooms in it, but perhaps a large area in the midst of it, as well as it had battlements on the top of it: and shut it to them; the gates of it, and which no doubt they strongly barred and bolted, to keep out the enemy: and gat them up to the top of the tower; to observe the motions of Abimelech, and annoy him as much as they could with what they carried with th…

Dictionary and topics

Abimelech — My father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as “Pharaoh” was of the Egyptian kings. (1.) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham (Gen. 20:1-18). By an…
City — The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have…
Thebez — Brightness, a place some 11 miles north-east of Shechem, on the road to Scythopolis, the modern Tabas. Abimelech led his army against this place, because of its participation in the conspiracy of the…
Cities · Often had citadels — Often had citadels
Thebez · A city, at which Abimelech was killed while besieging — A city, at which Abimelech was killed while besieging
Towers · Were built: In cities — Were built: In cities

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).

Judges 9:51

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:50–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:51

John Gill on Judges 9:51

Dictionary and topics

Judges 9:51

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:50–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:51

John Gill on Judges 9:51

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 9:50–end

Rashi on Judges 9:48