Abimelech Fighting Against the City - Judges 9:45

In the book of Judges we learned how, “Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them”, and in chapter nine and verse forty-five of Judges, we learn how, ““Abimelech fought against the city all that day” where we read,

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.

The verse reads, “And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, …” The writer began with the words, “and Abimelech” whose name means “Melek is father or my father is king” and was “the son of Gideon by a concubine” “fought against the city” which means “battled and warred in opposition to the habitation, abode and dwelling place “all that day” or “throughout each, every and the whole of the sunrise to sunset”; “and he took the city” which means “and he, Abimelech, captured, seized and overtook the habitation, abode and dwelling place”. The writer shared how “Abimelech” not only warred against the dwelling place of “Shechem”, but also seized and took control of the town.

The verse continues, “and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.” The writer added the words, “and slew the people” which means “and beat, hit and killed the human beings” “that was therein” or “who were within the city”, “and beat down the city” which means “and pulled, broke and destroyed the habitation, abode and dwelling place”, “and sowed it with salt” or “and scattered and spread the city with pulverized and dissolved salt”. The writer shared how “Abimelech” killed all the human beings within the city of “Shechem”, destroyed the dwelling place and spread dissolved salt over it. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how “Abimelech” killed all the human beings within “Shechem”, destroyed the location and spread salt that was dissolved all over it. “Abimelech” took down those who aligned in opposition to God’s people, and eventually their location was destroyed. God watched out for the people of Israel, and He will do the same for us when we submit to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. At the time we receive Jesus as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us the confidence and assurance that He is for us and not against us. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:5)

Next time we learn what happened, “when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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