Judges

Judges 9:50–54

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.

Read all of Judges 9

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Judges 9:50

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Abimelech	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H40 Abimelek
went	וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Thebez	תֵּבֵ֑ץ	tê·ḇêṣ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8405 Tebets
encamped	וַיִּ֥חַן	way·yi·ḥan	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2583 decline, bend down, encamp
against it	בְּתֵבֵ֖ץ	bə·ṯê·ḇêṣ	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8405 Tebets
and captured it	וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃	way·yil·kə·ḏāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)

Judges 9:51

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But there was	הָיָ֣ה	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a strong	עֹז֮	‘ōz	Noun - masculine singular	H5797 strength, might
tower	וּמִגְדַּל־	ū·miḡ·dal-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H4026 tower
inside	בְתוֹךְ־	ḇə·ṯō·wḵ-	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
the city	הָעִיר֒	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
and all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the men	הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים	hā·’ă·nā·šîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H582 man, mankind
women	וְהַנָּשִׁ֗ים	wə·han·nā·šîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
and leaders	בַּעֲלֵ֣י	ba·‘ă·lê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1167 owner, lord
of the city	הָעִ֔יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
fled	וַיָּנֻ֨סוּ	way·yā·nu·sū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5127 flee, escape
there	שָׁ֜מָּה	šām·māh	Adverb; third person feminine singular	H8033 there, thither
They locked themselves in	וַֽיִּסְגְּר֖וּ	way·yis·gə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5462 shut, close
and went up	וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּ	way·ya·‘ă·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
to	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the roof	גַּ֥ג	gaḡ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1406 roof, top
of the tower	הַמִּגְדָּֽל׃	ham·miḡ·dāl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4026 tower

Judges 9:52

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Abimelech	אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙	’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H40 Abimelek
came	וַיָּבֹ֤א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
attack	וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם	way·yil·lā·ḥem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3898 fight, do battle
the tower	הַמִּגְדָּ֔ל	ham·miḡ·dāl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4026 tower
he approached	וַיִּגַּ֛שׁ	way·yig·gaš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5066 draw near, approach
its	הַמִּגְדָּ֖ל	ham·miḡ·dāl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4026 tower
entrance	פֶּ֥תַח	pe·ṯaḥ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6607 opening, doorway, entrance
to set it on fire	לְשָׂרְפ֥וֹ	lə·śā·rə·p̄ōw	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H8313 burn

Judges 9:53

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But a	אַחַ֛ת	’a·ḥaṯ	Number - feminine singular	H259 one
woman	אִשָּׁ֥ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
dropped	וַתַּשְׁלֵ֞ךְ	wat·taš·lêḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7993 throw, fling, cast
an upper	פֶּ֥לַח	pe·laḥ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6400 cleavage, mill-stone
millstone	רֶ֖כֶב	re·ḵeḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7393 chariotry, chariot, mill-stone
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Abimelech’s	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H40 Abimelek
head	רֹ֣אשׁ	rōš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7218 head
crushing	וַתָּ֖רִץ	wat·tā·riṣ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7533 crush
his skull	גֻּלְגָּלְתּֽוֹ׃	gul·gā·lə·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1538 skull, head, poll

Judges 9:54

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He quickly	מְהֵרָ֜ה	mə·hê·rāh	Adverb	H4120 haste, speed
called	וַיִּקְרָ֨א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
his armor-bearer	נֹשֵׂ֣א	nō·śê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H5375 lift, take, carry
saying	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Draw	שְׁלֹ֤ף	šə·lōp̄	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H8025 draw out, off
your sword	חַרְבְּךָ֙	ḥar·bə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2719 sword
and kill me	וּמ֣וֹתְתֵ֔נִי	ū·mō·wṯ·ṯê·nî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common singular	H4191 die
lest	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
they say	יֹ֥אמְרוּ	yō·mə·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
of me	לִ֖י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
A woman	אִשָּׁ֣ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
killed him	הֲרָגָ֑תְהוּ	hă·rā·ḡā·ṯə·hū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular; third person masculine singular	H2026 kill, slay
So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran	וַיִּדְקְרֵ֥הוּ	way·yiḏ·qə·rê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H1856 pierce, pierce through
and he died	וַיָּמֹֽת׃	way·yā·mōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Judges 9:52 2 Kings 15:16

Judges 9:53 2 Samuel 11:21 · Job 31:3 · Jeremiah 49:20 · Jeremiah 50:45 · Judges 9:20

Judges 9:54 1 Samuel 31:4–5

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.