Judges 9:45
New International Version
All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.

New Living Translation
The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground.

English Standard Version
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

Berean Standard Bible
And 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.

King James Bible
And 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.

New King James Version
So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

New American Standard Bible
Abimelech fought against the city that whole day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

NASB 1995
Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

NASB 1977
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he tore the city down and sowed it with salt.

Amplified Bible
Abimelech fought against the city that entire day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it; he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

Christian Standard Bible
So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

American Standard Version
And 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abimelek fought in the city all that day and defeated the city, and all the people that were in it he killed, and he destroyed the city and he sowed it with salt

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.

Contemporary English Version
He and his troops fought in Shechem all day, until they had killed everyone in town. Then he and his men tore down the houses and buildings and scattered salt everywhere.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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.

English Revised Version
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abimelech attacked the city all day long. He captured the city and killed the people in it. He also tore down the city and scattered salt all over the land.

Good News Translation
The fighting continued all day long. Abimelech captured the city, killed its people, tore it down, and covered the ground with salt.

International Standard Version
Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured the city, killed the people in it, then tore the city to the ground and sowed it with salt.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And 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.

Literal Standard Version
and Abimelech has fought against the city all that day, and captures the city, and has slain the people who [are] in it, and he breaks down the city, and sows it [with] salt.

Majority Standard Bible
And 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.

New American Bible
That entire day Abimelech fought against the city. He captured it, killed the people who were in it, and demolished the city itself, sowing it with salt.

NET Bible
Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled the city and spread salt over it.

New Revised Standard Version
Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city, and killed the people that were in it; and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were in it. And he destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

World English Bible
Abimelech 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.

Young's Literal Translation
and 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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fall of Shechem
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.…

Cross References
Judges 9:44
Then 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.

1 Kings 12:25
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.

2 Kings 3:25
They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.


Treasury of Scripture

And 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.

he took

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.

beat

Deuteronomy 29:23
And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

1 Kings 12:25
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

2 Kings 3:25
And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

sowed.

Jump to Previous
Abimelech Abim'elech Attack Beat Breaketh Captured Captureth City Covered Death Destroyed Killed Pressed Pulled Razed Salt Scattered Slain Slew Sowed Soweth Therein
Jump to Next
Abimelech Abim'elech Attack Beat Breaketh Captured Captureth City Covered Death Destroyed Killed Pressed Pulled Razed Salt Scattered Slain Slew Sowed Soweth Therein
Judges 9
1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7. Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22. Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30. Zebul reveals it
34. Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46. He burns the hold of the god Berith
50. At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56. Jotham's curse is fulfilled.














(45) Beat down the city.--Comp. 2Samuel 17:13; Micah 3:12.

Sowed it with salt.--Nothing can better show his deadly execration against the populace to whom he owed his elevation, and who had been the instrument of his crimes. By this symbolic act he devoted the city to barrenness and desolation. (See Psalm 107:34; Deuteronomy 29:23; Job 39:6, and marg.) "When Milan was taken, in A.D. 1162, it was sown with salt, and the house of Admiral Coligny, A.D. 1572, was sown with salt by the command of Charles IX., king of France" (Wordsworth). . . .

Verse 45. - Abimelech fought against the city, etc. When all the Shechemites in the field were smitten or dispersed, Abimelech stormed the city, weakened as it was by the previous loss of so many of its defenders. The city made an obstinate defence notwithstanding, but was taken before night, and all the inhabitants were put to the sword. The walls were then razed to the ground, and the site was sown with salt to express the wish that it might be barren and uninhabited for ever (cf. Psalm 107:34, marg.; Jeremiah 17:6). This action of sowing with salt is not elsewhere mentioned; but it is well known that salt destroys vegetation, and is used by gardeners for this very purpose. Pliny (quoted by Rosenmuller) says, Omnis locus in quo reperitur sal sterilis est.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And all
כֹּ֚ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that
הַה֔וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
הַיּ֣וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

Abimelech
וַאֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ (wa·’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name

fought
נִלְחָ֣ם (nil·ḥām)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

against the city
בָּעִ֗יר (bā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

until he had captured it
וַיִּלְכֹּד֙ (way·yil·kōḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3920: To catch, to capture, occupy, to choose, to cohere

and killed
הָרָ֑ג (hā·rāḡ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

its people.
הָעָ֥ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

Then he demolished
וַיִּתֹּץ֙ (way·yit·tōṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5422: To pull down, break down

the city
הָעִ֔יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

and sowed
וַיִּזְרָעֶ֖הָ (way·yiz·rā·‘e·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2232: To sow, to disseminate, plant, fructify

it with salt.
מֶֽלַח׃ (me·laḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4417: Powder, salt


Links
Judges 9:45 NIV
Judges 9:45 NLT
Judges 9:45 ESV
Judges 9:45 NASB
Judges 9:45 KJV

Judges 9:45 BibleApps.com
Judges 9:45 Biblia Paralela
Judges 9:45 Chinese Bible
Judges 9:45 French Bible
Judges 9:45 Catholic Bible

OT History: Judges 9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 9:44
Top of Page
Top of Page