Judges 9:42-49 · Bible study
Judges 9:42-49 Commentary: Abimelech's Destruction of Shechem
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Abimelech's attack on Shechem, the salt sowing, and the tower fire.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abimelech destroys Shechem and its tower, fulfilling Jotham’s curse; sowing salt signifies permanent desolation.
- Key words: melech (salt), symbol of barrenness; tzriach, underground stronghold; sochat, branch; qardom, axe.
- Main debate: Whether vv.42-49 describe a new attack or a parallel account of the earlier battle (the supplied commentaries favor a new attack).
- Theological theme: Divine retribution: the wicked destroy one another, and God’s curse is enacted through the very means they used.
- Best use: Teaching on the certainty of God’s justice and the danger of covenant-breaking and idolatry.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.
44Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.
45And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
46On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
47And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,
48he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”
49So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.
WEB World English Bible 2000
42On the next day, the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43He took the people and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and behold, the people came out of the city. So, he rose up against them and struck them.
44Abimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field and struck them.
45Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city and killed the people in it. He beat down the city and sowed it with salt.
46When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
47Abimelech was told that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48Abimelech 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!”
49All the people likewise each cut down his bough, followed Abimelech, and put them at the base of the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
KJV King James Version 1769
42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.
45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48And 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.
49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them.
45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48And 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 up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
42And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the people go out to the field, and they declare it to Abimelech,
43and he taketh the people, and divideth them into three detachments, and layeth wait in a field, and looketh, and lo, the people are coming out from the city, and he riseth against them, and smiteth them.
44And Abimelech and the detachments who are with him have pushed on, and stand at the opening of the gate of the city, and the two detachments have pushed against all who are in the field, and smite them,
45and Abimelech hath fought against the city all that day, and captureth the city, and the people who are in it he hath slain, and he breaketh down the city, and soweth it with salt.
46And all the masters of the tower of Shechem hear, and go in unto the high place of the house of the god Berith,
47and it is declared to Abimelech that all the masters of the tower of Shechem have gathered themselves together,
48and Abimelech goeth up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people who are with him, and Abimelech taketh the great axe in his hand, and cutteth off a bough of the trees, and lifteth it up, and setteth it on his shoulder, and saith unto the people who are with him, `What ye have seen I have done--haste, do ye like it.'
49And all the people also cut down each one his bough, and go after Abimelech, and set them at the high place, and burn by these the high place with fire, and also all the men of the tower of Shechem die, about a thousand men and women.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in ambush in the field. And he looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote them.
44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and two of the companies ran upon all that were in the fields, and slew them.
45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and broke down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46And all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [that], and they entered into the stronghold of the house of thegod Berith.
47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.
48Then Abimelech went 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 up and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people that was with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, do as I have done.
49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and they followed Abimelech, and put [them] to the hold, and burned the hold with fire upon them. And all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
42So the day following the people went out into the field. And it was told to Abimelech,
43And he took his army, and divided it into three companies, and laid ambushes in the fields. And seeing that the people came out of the city, he arose, and set upon them,
44With his own company, assaulting and besieging the city: whilst the two other companies chased the enemies that were scattered about the field.
45And Abimelech assaulted the city all that day: and took it, and killed the inhabitants thereof, and demolished it, so that he sowed salt in it.
46And when they who dwelt in the tower of Sichem, had heard this, they went into the temple of their god Berith, where they had made a covenant with him, and from thence the place had taken its name, and it was exceeding strong.
47Abimelech also hearing that the men of the tower of Sichem were gathered together,
48Went up into mount Selmon, he and all his people with him: and taking an axe, he cut down the bough of a tree, and laying it on his shoulder, and carrying it, he said to his companions: What you see me do, do ye out of hand.
49So they cut down boughs from the trees, every man as fast as he could, and followed their leader. And surrounding the fort, they set it on fire: and so it came to pass, that with the smoke and with the fire a thousand persons were killed, men and women together, of the inhabitants of the town of Sichem.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 9:42
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The supplied commentators agree that Judges 9:42-49 describes a new attack on Shechem the day after Gaal's defeat, not a parallel account. The people went out into the fields (likely for vintage or agricultural work, notes Keil & Delitzsch) and Abimelech was informed. He divided his forces into three companies, Barnes observes this tactic allowed one company to block the city gate while the other two struck those in the field. Abimelech captured the city, killed its inhabitants, demolished it, and sowed it with salt. Clarke and Barnes agree this was a symbolic act expressing permanent desolation and hatred, though the Cambridge Bible suggests a possible religious consecration. The men of the tower of Shechem (a separate fortress, per Gill) heard of the city's fall and entered the stronghold of the house of El-Berith (the temple of Baal-Berith). Abimelech then led his men to Mount Zalmon, cut branches, and set the stronghold on fire, killing about a thousand people. Matthew Henry and the Geneva Bible note this as a literal fulfillment of Jotham's curse in Judges 9:20, fire coming from Abimelech to devour the men of Shechem.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- New attack chronology: Shechemites go out to work the day after battle; Abimelech ambushes them (supported by Keil, Barnes, and the narrative flow).
- Parallel account of the same attack: Some scholars see vv.42-49 as an alternative version of the earlier battle, arguing that the people would not be so careless immediately after a defeat.
What is clear: The passage portrays the complete destruction of Shechem and its tower as an act of judgment that fulfills Jotham's curse, regardless of the precise chronological relation to the preceding verses.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of the attack | The passage describes an event the day after Gaal's defeat; the people went out to work in the fields. | Most commentators view this as a new, distinct attack. A minority argue it may be a parallel account of the same assault, but the supplied sources strongly support the new-attack view. |
| Meaning of sowing salt | Sowing salt is a symbolic act expressing lasting destruction and divine curse. | Some (Barnes, Keil) see it as rendering the land permanently barren. Others (Cambridge Bible) suggest a religious consecration akin to sacrificial salt (Ezekiel 43:24), dedicating the site to God’s judgment. |
| Identity of 'men of the tower of Shechem' | These are the leaders or elite inhabitants of a separate fortress, not the general population of the town. | Some equate them with ‘the house of Millo’ (Judges 9:6, 20), the ruling class. Others see them as a distinct military garrison holding the stronghold. |
| Fulfillment of Jotham's curse | The fire and mutual destruction directly echo Jotham’s parable (9:15, 20). | Christians agree this is a literal fulfillment of the curse within the narrative. A few interpret it as thematic foreshadowing rather than direct prophecy, but the text presents it as cause and effect. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Shechem was a significant city in the hill country of Ephraim, later rebuilt by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25). It had a long history of covenant-making and idolatry. The “tower of Shechem” refers to a fortress or citadel, likely Migdal-Shechem, housing the city’s elite (“lords of the tower”). The name “El-Berith” means “God of the Covenant,” a title for Baal-Berith (Judges 8:33). The “hold” (Hebrew tzriach) likely means an underground chamber or vault within the temple precincts, Clarke notes it held about a thousand people.
Sowing a city with salt was an ancient Near Eastern practice expressing a curse of permanent barrenness. Clarke records that in AD 1162 Milan was sowed with salt after its capture. Similarly, Deuteronomy 29:23 uses salt as a symbol of divine judgment. Abimelech’s action declared that Shechem would never be rebuilt as a habitable city.
The use of branches to set a fortress on fire was a known siege tactic. Abimelech’s command, “What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done!”, shows his leadership and the rapid execution. The whole episode fulfills Jotham’s parable (Judges 9:15, 20): the bramble (Abimelech) sends fire to devour the cedars. God’s hand is seen in the self-destructive conflict between the king and the city that made him king.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for these verses. The Hebrew text is well-preserved. The word tzriach (stronghold, v.46) occurs only here and in 1 Samuel 13:6, and its exact meaning is uncertain (Barnes). Some manuscripts read “house of El-Berith” as “house of the god Berith” (so KJV), but the meaning is the same.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a sobering example of God’s moral government. Early Christian writers saw in Abimelech a type of the antichrist or a warning against usurpation. The Reformers, including Luther and Calvin, used the story to illustrate how tyrants become instruments of divine judgment even as their own sin leads to their downfall. The phrase “sowing with salt” entered literary and legal use as a metaphor for permanent condemnation. In modern application, the passage challenges Christians to consider the serious consequences of breaking covenant with God and the futility of trusting in earthly powers, whether military might or false religion, for ultimate security.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sin’s spiral into destruction. Shechem’s people had been complicit in the murder of Gideon’s sons and the coronation of Abimelech. This chapter shows how treachery and idolatry lead to mutual ruin.
- Symbolic acts of judgment. Sowing salt and setting fire are more than military tactics, they are prophetic signs. Salt speaks of a covenant curse (Deuteronomy 29:23); fire recalls Jotham’s curse. God uses even wicked rulers to execute his justice.
- The bitter fruit of human ambition. Abimelech’s ruthless climb to power ends by consuming those who supported him. The passage warns that leadership built on bloodshed will bring ruin to both leader and followers.
Five-point outline
- The trap: Abimelech divides his forces and ambushes the unsuspecting workers.
- The fall: The city is captured, its people killed, the walls torn down, and salt strewn as a curse.
- The refuge: The tower leaders flee to the temple of Baal-Berith, mistakenly thinking their god can save them.
- The fire: Abimelech’s branch tactic turns the stronghold into a death trap.
- The toll: A thousand men and women perish, fulfilling the curse pronounced by Jotham.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer spreads salt in a garden to keep it barren for years. That deliberate, irreversible act mirrors what Abimelech did to Shechem.
- You hear that a violent criminal has been captured. People celebrate, but then learn that the police chief who caught him is just as corrupt. The story here shows two corrupt parties destroying each other.
- Think of a feud where both sides keep escalating until nothing is left. Abimelech and Shechem illustrate that pattern.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can God use an evil man like Abimelech to judge others?
- Why did the people in the tower think the temple would protect them?
- Does this story have any application for us today, or is it just ancient history?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows the tragic end of a cycle of violence and broken covenant. As you read, notice how the events directly fulfill Jotham’s curse from earlier in the chapter. Consider how sin leads to self-destruction and how God's justice, while often delayed, is sure.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 42-43. Why do you think the people went out into the field after the battle? What does this tell us about their attitude toward Abimelech?
- Abimelech divided his forces into three companies (v.43). What does this tactic reveal about his character and military skill?
- Verse 45 says he sowed the city with salt. According to the commentaries, what did this act symbolize? How does it connect to Deuteronomy 29:23?
- Why did the men of the tower of Shechem choose to gather in the temple of El-Berith (vv.46-47)? What does this show about their trust in false gods?
- Abimelech’s branch-cutting and fire (vv.48-49) echo Jotham’s parable in verses 15 and 20. How does this connection strengthen the theme of divine justice?
- The passage ends with “about a thousand men and women” dead. What does this large number emphasize about the consequences of sin?
- In what ways do you see people today trusting in “strongholds” that cannot save? How does this passage challenge us to place our trust only in the Lord?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Judges 9:15 | “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ |
| Judges 9:20 | but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech.” |
| Galatians 5:15 | But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. |
| Deuteronomy 29:23 | that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath. |
| I Kings 12:25 | Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel. |
| II Kings 3:25 | They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it. |
| Psalms 107:34 | and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. |
| Ezekiel 47:11 | But its swamps and marshes will not be healed. They will be given up to salt. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke disputes the common idea that sowing a city with salt was meant to make the ground barren. Instead, he sees it as a symbolic act using salt as an emblem of permanence and incorruption, intended to mark the site with perpetual desolation and abhorrence.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that Abimelech's military strategy was carefully planned: some companies attacked the men in the fields while another ambushed the city gate to cut off retreat. The salting of Shechem was a symbolic curse of barrenness, not just destruction. The burning of the fortress-sanctuary of Berith on Mount Zalmon directly fulfilled Jotham's earlier curse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes treat verses 42-49 not as the sequel to the previous day's battle but as a second, parallel account of Abimelech's attack on Shechem, originally following verse 25. Sowing the city with salt likely had religious significance, consecrating it under the ban, rather than merely symbolizing desolation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes Abimelech's act of sowing Shechem with salt was not to make the land barren but to express detestation and mark the city for perpetual ruin. He also corrects Josephus by stressing the boughs were green, not dry, showing the literal fulfillment of Jotham's curse.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights the symbolic act of scattering salt over conquered Shechem, a unique gesture that turns the city into a permanent barren desert. They also note the tower inhabitants fled to Baal-berith's temple seeking sanctuary, not defense, and that Mount Zalmon means "Black Forest."
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange interprets the sowing of salt not as an attempt to make the land literally barren, but as a symbolic act. Salt universally represents an oath, so Abimelech was declaring Shechem's covenant-breaking and its permanent destruction as a city.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry's focus is on divine justice at work: God sent a spirit of discord between Abimelech and the men of Shechem to punish both parties for their shared guilt in slaughtering Gideon's seventy sons. Their alliance gave way to treachery, fulfilling the principle that those who sin together often turn against each other.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.