Judges 9:50-57

Judges 9:50

Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

Then Abimelech marched on to Thebez which was about 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Shechem.  The name “Thebez” means “muddy or silk.” It seems that the men of Thebez had also rebelled against Abimelech so he encamped outside the city and then took it.  They may have joined forces with Gaal to oppose Abimelech and now they are paying the price for their alliance.  As Christians we must always be careful with whom we form alliances with in our lives.

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.

The same situation happened here as it did in Shechem.  They had a strong tower which was probably used as a tower of defense and of warning.  They made a great mistake.  They fled to the tower but left themselves no way of escape since they went to the top of the tower.  You can only go so high and that is it, you are cornered.  Whoever led that group was not a wise leader.  Instead they should have built tunnels where they could have stayed and then when Abimelech left, they could have escaped.

Judges 9:52

And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

Abimelech approached the tower and had fought against it, no doubt there was some resistance from the top of the tower with arrows or rocks.  So Abimelech used the same strategy he did in Shechem, he burned the tower with fire but the people inside were not ready to surrender.  The only place he was able to start the fire was at the door of the entrance and since he did not have any trees to fuel the fire, probably the inside was a wooden ladder which would burn up.

Judges 9:53

And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.

These people went to the top of the tower bearing stones and weapons since they had the advantage of being up high.  What happened was as Abimelech was trying to make his way either up to the top of the tower or trying to burn them out, a woman picked up a piece of millstone and threw it at Abimelech and fractured or broke his skull.  This must have been a strong woman because millstones were heavy since they were used in crushing grains for making bread.

Judges 9:54

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.

Then Abimelech being prideful unto death calls his armor bearer over to him because he knew that he was dying and wanted him to slay him because he did not want to go down in history as one who was slain by a woman.  So his armor bearer obliged him and thrust him through with the sword and thus was the end of Abimelech.  I guess to this day he does not know that we know the whole story that he really was killed by a woman.  He and Sisera had much in common.

Judges 9:55

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

Once the men who were following Abimelech saw that he was dead, they left the scene and apparently the tower was spared and the people in it.  They had escaped the vengeance that Abimelech wanted to exact on them.  Proverbs 22:10 (KJV) Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.  Once Abimelech was dead, there was no more reason for the men to stay around and continue the fighting.  As it states in Proverbs 22:10, when the lead scorner is out, then all strife and reproaches shall end and this is what happened at Thebez. 

Judges 9:56

Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

Things just don’t happen without a purpose.  God was taking vengeance on Abimelech for the wickedness against his father Gideon who slew his seventy brethren.  Abimelech violated the Golden Rule.  Luke 6:31 (KJV)   And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.  As he slew his brethren, he was also slain.  Galatians 6:7 (KJV)   Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  Abimelech sowed death, and he reaped death.

Judges 9:57

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.