Judges 9:50-57 · Bible study
Judges 9:50-57 Commentary: God Repays Abimelech's Evil
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A woman's millstone brings down the tyrant Abimelech, showing God's justice and the fulfillment of Jotham's curse on evil rulers.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abimelech's death at Thebez fulfills Jotham's curse and demonstrates God's justice in repaying evil.
- Key words: Upper millstone (פֶּלַח רֶכֶב), crush (רָצַץ), repay/return (שׁוּב), curse (קְלָלָה).
- Main debate: The woman's agency, did she act deliberately or was she a providential instrument? The text prioritizes God's role.
- Theological theme: Divine retribution and poetic justice; the humble brought down the proud.
- Best use: A sermon on God's sovereignty over evil rulers, or a study on the consequences of unchecked ambition.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it.
51But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.
53But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
55And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
56In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.
57And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women of the city fled there, and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower.
52Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and came near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull.
54Then he called hastily to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, that men not say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ His young man thrust him through, and he died.”
55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they each departed to his place.
56Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers;
57and God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads; and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came on them.
KJV King James Version 1769
50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51But 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.
52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.
54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower.
52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull.
54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren;
57and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
50And Abimelech goeth unto Thebez, and encampeth against Thebez, and captureth it,
51and a strong tower hath been in the midst of the city, and thither flee do all the men and the women, and all the masters of the city, and they shut it behind them, and go up on the roof of the tower.
52And Abimelech cometh unto the tower, and fighteth against it, and draweth nigh unto the opening of the tower to burn it with fire,
53and a certain woman doth cast a piece of a rider on the head of Abimelech, and breaketh his skull,
54and he calleth hastily unto the young man bearing his weapons, and saith to him, `Draw thy sword, and thou hast put me to death, lest they say of me--A woman slew him;' and his young man pierced him through, and he dieth.
55And the men of Israel see that Abimelech is dead, and go each one to his place;
56and God turneth back the evil of Abimelech which he did to his father to slay his seventy brethren;
57and all the evil of the men of Shechem hath God turned back on their head, and come unto them doth the cursing of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
50And Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and thither fled all the men and women, all the citizens of the city; and they shut it behind them, and went up to the roof of the tower.
52And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and he drew near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire;
53and a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill on Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull.
54Then he called hastily to the young man that carried his armour, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that they say not of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went every man to his place.
56And God rendered back the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
57And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render back upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
50Then Abimelech, departing from thence, came to the town of Thebes, which he surrounded and besieged with his army.
51And there was in the midst of the city a high tower, to which both the men and the women were fled together, and all the princes of the city, and having shut and strongly barred the gate, they stood upon the battlements of the tower to defend themselves.
52And Abimelech, coming near the tower, fought stoutly: and, approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it:
53And behold, a certain woman casting a piece of a millstone from above, dashed it against the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.
54And he called hastily to his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest it should be said that I was slain by a woman. He did as he was commanded, and slew him.
55And when he was dead all the men of Israel that were with him, returned to their homes.
56And God repaid the evil that Abimelech had done against his father, killing his seventy brethren.
57The Sichemites also were rewarded for what they had done, and the curse of Joatham, the son of Jerobaal, came upon them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 9:50
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Abimelech's death at Thebez is the direct outworking of God's justice. Keil & Delitzsch observe that the verb rendered (שוב, shuv) implies turning evil back onto the evildoer's head, a point echoed by the Geneva Bible and Gill. The Cambridge Bible notes the parallel with 2 Samuel 11:21, where Joab uses this incident as a cautionary example. Matthew Henry emphasizes the irony: the man who murdered his seventy brothers dies by a woman's hand. Barnes remarks that Abimelech's reckless approach to the tower door exposed him to exactly this fate. All agree that Jotham's curse (Judges 9:20) is fulfilled point by point. The woman's act, though humanly ordinary, is presented as a providential instrument. The passage leaves no doubt: God controls history and judges wickedness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Abimelech dies at Thebez from a millstone thrown by a woman, fulfilling Jotham's curse, and the narrator explicitly states this was God's repayment for his wickedness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The woman's role | She is used by God to execute judgment on Abimelech. The narrator explicitly credits God with the repayment. | Some see her as a deliberate, courageous defender of her city; others highlight God's providence overriding her intentions. Both emphasize divine sovereignty. |
| Abimelech's request to be killed | He seeks to avoid the dishonor of being recorded as killed by a woman. | Some view this as a form of suicide by proxy; others see it as a practical request by a dying man to spare himself further indignity. Neither position contradicts the moral judgment on his character. |
| Fulfillment of Jotham's curse | The curse in Judges 9:20 is realized in the deaths of Abimelech and the Shechemites. | Some interpret the curse as an imprecation (a prayer for harm) that God chooses to honor; others see it as a prophetic prediction that the narrative confirms. The text itself presents it as a warning that came true. |
| The role of the Israelites in Abimelech's army | They are Israelites who served a half-Israelite king and disbanded upon his death. | Some argue they shared in his guilt by supporting his rise; others see them as followers who abandoned the campaign when leadership failed. The narrator does not explicitly judge them. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Thebez (modern Ṭubās, about 10 miles northeast of Shechem) was a Canaanite town that had likely joined Shechem's rebellion against Abimelech. The strong tower inside the city reflects typical Canaanite fortifications: a last refuge where inhabitants stored food, water, and weapons. Towers of this kind appear throughout Judges (8:9, 9:46, 49) and in Assyrian reliefs that depict besieged cities with defenders on rooftops dropping stones.
The upper millstone (פֶּלַח רֶכֶב, pelach rechev, literally 'millstone of riding') was the heavy, circular stone that rotated over a stationary lower stone. Women normally used these to grind grain (Exodus 21:7, 10; Matthew 24:41). In a siege, they would carry millstones to the roof as defensive weapons. The verb 'crushed' (תָּרִץ from רָצַץ, ratsats) means to shatter, emphasizing the blow's force.
Abimelech's armor-bearer was a young attendant who carried his weapons (1 Samuel 31:4). The request to be killed by his own sword, 'lest they say of me, “A woman killed him”', reflects the ancient Near Eastern shame attached to dying at a woman's hands. Plutarch records a similar fate for King Pyrrhus of Thebes, who was killed by a tile thrown by a woman (Clarke). After Abimelech's death, his Israelite army disbanded, each man returning home, a sign that his personal ambition held the coalition together.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text is well-preserved with no variants affecting core meaning. The phrase 'upper millstone' (פֶּלַח רֶכֶב, pelach rechev) occurs only here and in the parallel at 2 Samuel 11:21. The form גּוּלְגָּלְתּוֹ (skull) shows a variant spelling (Keil & Delitzsch). The verb תָּרִץ (from רָצַץ, to crush) is unusual but consistent across manuscripts. The KJV's 'all to brake' is an obsolete English intensifier; modern versions render it simply as 'crushed' or 'broke.'
Reception History
The early church read this passage as a clear instance of divine justice. The reference in 2 Samuel 11:21 shows that Abimelech's death became a cautionary tale: 'Didn't a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez?' Joab used it to warn David's messengers not to take foolish risks. In subsequent Christian tradition, the story has been cited to illustrate the humbling of the proud and God's use of the weak to confound the strong. Poets and preachers have drawn on the irony of a millstone, a tool of daily provision, becoming an instrument of judgment. The passage continues to challenge readers to trust that evil, no matter how powerful, will ultimately be repaid by a just God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Aggressor Overreaches: Abimelech, fresh from destroying Shechem, approaches too close to the tower door. His hatred blinds him to danger (v. 52).
- The Unlikely Deliverer: A woman, unnamed, unarmed with military gear, drops a millstone. Her act crushes the tyrant's skull (v. 53).
- The Divine Verdict: God repays Abimelech's evil and the men of Shechem's wickedness, fulfilling Jotham's curse (vv. 56, 57).
Five-Point Outline
- Abimelech's Continued Campaign: He moves from Shechem to Thebez, capturing it (v. 50).
- The Tower as False Refuge: Inhabitants flee to a strong tower, but it becomes a trap (v. 51).
- The Woman's Millstone: One throw changes history, a humble weapon brings down a king (v. 53).
- Abimelech's Shameful Request: More concerned with honor than life, he orders his armor-bearer to kill him (v. 54).
- The Army Disperses: Without their leader, the Israelite coalition collapses (v. 55).
Illustration Hooks
- A small, overlooked thing, like a loose tile on a roof, can change everything when the timing is right.
- A team that depends entirely on a charismatic leader often dissolves when that leader falls.
- Pride before a fall: thinking you are invincible makes you careless about small dangers.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why does Abimelech care so much about being killed by a woman? What does that say about honor?
- Does this story mean God directly causes every death? How should we understand divine retribution?
- What hope does this passage offer when evil rulers seem to get away with violence?
Leading a Discussion
This passage brings the cycle of violence in Judges 9 to a close. Abimelech's rise and fall show how ambition, betrayal, and revenge eventually turn back on those who practice them. The narrator's conclusion makes explicit what the story has implied: God is not absent from history. He repays wickedness. As you discuss these verses, consider how they speak to our own questions about justice, power, and God's timing.
Discussion Questions
- Read verses 50, 53. What details in the siege of Thebez stand out to you? Why do you think the writer includes the specific weapon used?
- Abimelech's final concern is his reputation (v. 54). What does this reveal about his priorities? How does his response compare to other biblical figures facing death?
- In verse 55, the Israelite army disbands instantly. What does this tell us about the nature of Abimelech's leadership and his hold on the people?
- The narrator says God 'repaid' the evil of Abimelech and the men of Shechem (vv. 56, 57). How does this shape how you read the entire chapter? Is the writer advocating a simple cause-and-effect view of suffering?
- Jotham's curse from Judges 9:20 comes true. How do you understand the relationship between human curses and divine judgment? Does God 'answer' curses?
- The woman is unnamed and her act is brief. How does this story challenge our ideas about who God uses to bring about change? What does it say about power?
- What do you learn from this passage about waiting for God's justice when evil seems to flourish? How can this story encourage prayer for those who suffer under oppression?
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 9:48 | Abimelech 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!” |
| Judges 9:49 | All 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. |
| II Kings 14:10 | You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you fall, even you, and Judah with you?” |
| II Kings 15:16 | Then Menahem attacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its border areas, from Tirzah. He attacked it because they didn’t open their gates to him, and he ripped up all their women who were with child. |
| 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.” |
| II Samuel 11:21 | Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’” |
| II Samuel 20:21 | The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke corrects the translation by giving the literal Hebrew: the woman fractured Abimelech's skull with an upper millstone. He notes the cultural disgrace of being killed by a woman, citing Seneca, and concludes that while human judgment can be escaped, God's judgment is inescapable.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the phrase "went hard unto the door" meant going quite close, an obsolete usage. He observes that Abimelech's hatred and thirst for revenge made him despise the obvious danger of approaching a roof full of people who could drop missiles on him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes an ironic parallel: the first man to aspire to kingship and the first actual king both died by asking their armor-bearer to finish them. With Abimelech’s death, the Israelites ceased their united action against Canaanites, and the writer stresses God’s just control of history.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that Abimelech's death, shameful by a woman's hand, and the destruction of Shechem both came as God's direct repayment for their wickedness. The account shows that God fulfilled the curse Jotham pronounced, rendering to each exactly what their deeds deserved.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the poetic justice in Abimelech's death: the man who murdered his seventy brothers on a single stone is himself killed by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman. His desperate attempt to conceal this shame by ordering his armor-bearer to kill him only ensured the story would be told for generations.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the remarkable agreement between the Biblical account of the siege and ancient Assyrian bas-reliefs. The carvings depict the same details: the besieged city, the strong tower, people on the battlements, fire at the doors, and stones dropped on attackers. This confirms the historical accuracy of the narrative.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that Abimelech's death by a woman's millstone and his shameful plea for a finishing sword-stroke fulfilled the curse Jotham had pronounced. God repaid both Abimelech and the Shechemites for their evil deeds, bringing poetic justice that exposed full disgrace. The historian closes by affirming divine retribution.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Abimelech strewed salt over Shechem not to make the land barren, but as a symbolic act. Since salt was a universal sign of an oath, Abimelech used it to declare that this covenant-breaking city had ceased to exist forever.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Abimelech's success at the stronghold of Baal-berith made him overconfident at Thebez. He did not consider that the tower of an idol-temple lay more exposed to divine vengeance than any other tower. Those who escape one desperate attempt are apt to think a similar attempt is not desperate.
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.