TRV
Translation
King James Version
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
Complete Jewish Bible
a woman dropped an upper millstone on Avimelekh's head, cracking his skull.
Berean Standard Bible
But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
American Standard Version
And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull.
World English Bible Messianic
A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But a certaine woman cast a piece of a milstone vpon Abimelechs head, and brake his braine pan.
Young's Literal Translation
and a certain woman doth cast a piece of a rider on the head of Abimelech, and breaketh his skull,
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In the KJVVerse 6,808 of 31,102
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Commentary on Judges 9 verses 50–57
50 ¶ Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
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.
52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
54 Then 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.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57 And 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.
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 this tower, at least to burn down the door, and so force an entrance, Jdg 9:52. Those who have escaped and succeeded well in one desperate attempt are apt to think the like attempt another time not desperate. This instance was long after quoted to show how dangerous it is to come near the call of a besieged city, Sa2 11:20, etc. But God infatuates those whom he will ruin.
II. In the attempt he was himself destroyed, having his brains knocked out with a piece of a millstone, Jdg 9:57. No doubt this man was a murderer, whom, though he had escaped the dangers of the war with Shechem, yet vengeance suffered not to live, Act 28:4. Evil pursues sinners, and sometimes overtakes them when they are not only secure, but triumphant. Thebez, we may suppose, was a weak inconsiderable place, compared with Shechem. Abimelech, having conquered the greater, makes no doubt of being master of the less without any difficulty, especially when he had taken the city, and had only the tower to deal with; yet he lays his bones by that, and there is all his honour buried. Thus are the mighty things of the world often confounded by the weakest and those things that are most made light of. See here what rebukes those are justly put under many times by the divine providence that are unreasonable in their demands of satisfaction for injuries received. Abimelech had some reason to chastise the Shechemites, and he had done it with a witness; but when he will carry his revenges further, and nothing will serve but that Thebez also must be sacrificed to his rage, he is not only disappointed there, but destroyed; for verily there is a God that judges in the earth. Three circumstances are worthy of observation in the death of Abimelech: - 1. That he was slain with a stone, as he had slain his brethren all upon one stone. 2. That he had his skull broken. Vengeance aimed at that guilty head which had worn the usurped crown. 3. That the stone was cast upon him by a woman, Jdg 9:53. He saw the stone come; it was therefore strange he did not avoid it, but, no doubt, this made it so much the greater mortification to him to see from what hand it came. Sisera died by a woman's hand and knew it not; but Abimelech not only fell by the hand of a woman but knew it, and, when he found himself ready to breathe his last, nothing troubled him so much as this, that it should be said, A woman slew him. See, (1.) His foolish pride, in laying so much to heart this little circumstance of his disgrace. Here was no care taken about his precious soul, no concern what would become of that, no prayer to God for his mercy; but very solicitous he is to patch up his shattered credit, when there is no patching his shattered skull. "O let it never be said that such a mighty man as Abimelech was killed by a woman!" The man was dying, but his pride was alive and strong, and the same vain-glorious humour that had governed him all along appears now at last. Qualis vita, finis ita - As was his life, such was his death. As God punished his cruelty by the manner of his death, so he punished his pride by the instrument of it. (2.) His foolish project to avoid this disgrace; nothing could be more ridiculous; his own servant must run him through, not to rid him the sooner out of his pain, but that men say not, A woman slew him. Could he think that this would conceal what the woman had done, and not rather proclaim it the more? Nay, it added to the infamy of his death, for hereby he became a self-murderer. Better have it said, A woman slew him, than that it should be said, His servant slew him by his own order; yet now both will be said of him to his everlasting reproach. And it is observable that this very thing which Abimelech was in such care to conceal appears to have been more particularly remembered by posterity than most passages of his history; for Joab speaks of it as that which he expected David would reproach him with, for coming so nigh the wall, Sa2 11:21. The ignominy we seek to avoid by sin we do but perpetuate the remembrance of.
III. The issue of all is that Abimelech being slain, 1. Israel's peace was restored, and an end was put to this civil war; for those that followed him departed every man to his place, Jdg 9:55. 2. God's justice was glorified (Jdg 9:56, Jdg 9:57): Thus God punished the wickedness of Abimelech, and of the men of Shechem, and fulfilled Jotham's curse, for it was not a curse causeless. Thus he preserved the honour of his government, and gave warning to all ages to expect blood for blood. The Lord is known by the judgments which he executes, when the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Though wickedness may prosper awhile, it will not prosper always.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 50–57. Public domain.
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Basil of CaesareaAD 379
ON HUMILITY
The homicide Abimelech, bastard son of Gideon, killed the seventy legitimate sons, and, thinking he had hit upon a ruse for securing his grasp on the royal power, he destroyed his accomplices in the crime. He, however, was in turn destroyed by them and in the end was slain with a stone cast by a woman’s hand.… In short, countless examples teach us that the profit of human wisdom is illusory, for it is a meager and lowly thing and not a great and preeminent good.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Judges 9:53 vividly recounts the ignominious end of Abimelech, the self-proclaimed king of Shechem, during his siege of Thebez. Having cornered the city's inhabitants in a fortified tower, Abimelech, a ruthless and ambitious leader who seized power by murdering his seventy half-brothers, meets his demise not by the hand of a mighty warrior, but by an unnamed woman who casts a piece of a millstone upon his head, fatally fracturing his skull. This dramatic event serves as a powerful illustration of divine justice and the unexpected ways God works to bring down the proud and violent.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse is rich in Irony, which is the most prominent literary device. Abimelech, a mighty warrior and self-proclaimed king who murdered seventy men, is brought down not by an army or a male combatant, but by an unnamed woman using a domestic implement. This stark contrast highlights the unexpected nature of divine justice and the humiliation of the proud. There is also Symbolism at play; the millstone, an object of daily sustenance, becomes an instrument of death, symbolizing the reversal of fortune and the unexpected means by which God's judgment is enacted. The broken skull itself symbolizes the utter destruction of Abimelech's illegitimate power and the violent consequences of his ambition. The narrative also employs Foreshadowing through Jotham's fable (Judges 9:7-20), which explicitly predicts the destructive "fire" that would consume Abimelech and the men of Shechem, a prophecy powerfully fulfilled in this verse and the preceding events.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 9:53 stands as a potent testament to the biblical principle of divine justice, where the violent and ambitious meet a fitting end. Abimelech's death is not a random accident but a clear act of God's retribution for his heinous crimes, particularly the murder of his brothers and the treachery against Shechem. It underscores that God is sovereign over human affairs, capable of bringing down the proud and exalting the humble, often through unexpected means. This narrative serves as a cautionary tale against seeking power through ungodly means and reminds us that true authority comes from God, not from human ambition or violence. The ignominious nature of his death also highlights the futility of human pride when confronted with divine judgment.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Abimelech's story, culminating in his dramatic demise in Judges 9:53, serves as a profound cautionary tale for all who seek power or influence through selfish ambition, violence, or deceit. It reminds us that true authority and lasting impact are not achieved through human might or manipulation, but through humble submission to God's will and righteous living. The unexpected instrument of Abimelech's downfall—an unnamed woman and a millstone—is a powerful reminder that God's ways are often beyond our comprehension, and He can use the most unassuming individuals and circumstances to accomplish His purposes and bring about justice. This should encourage us not to despise humble beginnings or unexpected instruments in God's hands, and to recognize that our strength and significance are found not in ourselves, but in Him. It calls us to examine our own hearts for any seeds of pride or ungodly ambition, urging us instead to cultivate humility, integrity, and a reliance on divine leading rather than human scheming.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is it significant that a woman killed Abimelech?
Answer: The fact that an unnamed woman delivered the fatal blow to Abimelech is profoundly significant for several reasons. In ancient Israelite society, warfare was predominantly a male domain, and for a powerful warrior and self-proclaimed king to be killed by a woman was considered deeply humiliating and dishonorable. Abimelech himself, in his dying breath, begs his armor-bearer to kill him so it would not be said that "a woman killed him" (Judges 9:54). This detail underscores the divine irony and justice at play: the one who exalted himself through violence is brought low by the most unexpected and seemingly weakest of instruments, highlighting God's power to use anyone to accomplish His will and humble the proud.
What does the phrase "all to brake" mean in the King James Version?
Answer: The phrase "all to brake" is an older English idiom, common in the King James Version, meaning "completely broke" or "utterly shattered." It emphasizes the severity and finality of the injury Abimelech sustained. It's not just that his skull was broken, but that it was completely crushed, indicating a definitively fatal blow that left no doubt about his immediate demise. This archaic phrasing powerfully conveys the devastating impact of the millstone.
How does Abimelech's story fit into the broader narrative and themes of the book of Judges?
Answer: Abimelech's story in Judges 9 is a dark chapter that exemplifies the moral and spiritual decline of Israel during the period of the Judges. It stands as a stark warning against the dangers of human ambition and the consequences of rejecting God's righteous leadership. His attempt to establish an ungodly monarchy through violence foreshadows the later, divinely appointed kingship, highlighting the chaotic and self-destructive nature of a people who "did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). His violent rise and fall serve as a powerful illustration of the cycle of sin, oppression, and divine judgment that characterizes the book, ultimately pointing to Israel's desperate need for a true, righteous king.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The ignominious end of Abimelech in Judges 9:53, struck down by a humble millstone wielded by an unnamed woman, stands in stark contrast to the true King, Jesus Christ, and yet, in its very contrast, points to Him. Abimelech's self-exaltation, violence, and illegitimate claim to kingship led to his humiliating death, a testament to the futility of human ambition apart from God. In stark contrast, Jesus, though truly God, "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:6-7). While Abimelech sought to avoid the shame of being killed by a woman, Christ willingly embraced the ultimate shame of the cross, dying a public, humiliating death at the hands of those He came to save, becoming the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). His death, seemingly a defeat, was the means by which He triumphed over sin and death, fulfilling God's righteous judgment not upon us, but in our place. Thus, Abimelech's story, a tale of a failed, self-appointed king brought low by unexpected means, indirectly highlights the glorious and humble kingship of Christ, who, through His weakness on the cross, secured eternal victory and true justice for all who believe, ultimately reigning not through violence, but through sacrificial love (Colossians 2:14-15).