Judges 9:45
*“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.”* (v.45)
In this verse, Abimelech, who rose to power as a self-proclaimed king of Shechem in the mid-12th century BC after the death of Gideon (also called Jerubbaal), launches a fierce attack on the very city that had once supported his rule. The text states that he fought against the city for the entire day, overwhelming the inhabitants and slaughtering them. When he had taken complete control, he utterly destroyed the city and performed the symbolic act of sowing it with salt, a severe gesture in the ancient world signifying perpetual desolation and the curse of barrenness upon the land.
Abimelech’s merciless assault highlights the violent nature of his leadership and the deep divisions among the Israelites during the era of the judges, a time characterized by cycles of sin, oppression, and deliverance (Judges 2:16-19). By demolishing Shechem and salting its soil, Abimelech not only enacted total devastation on those who opposed him, but he also severed the covenant ties established between himself and the very people who had once helped him seize authority. This tragic event sets the stage for Abimelech’s own downfall, illustrating the destructive consequences of ambition lacking godly discernment and humility.
Abimelech’s destruction of Shechem shows how pride and violence ultimately bring ruin upon both the leader and his nation.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Matthew 26:45-50 meaning. Judas’s Betrayal: Jesus awakens His disciples to inform them that Judas has betrayed Him. Judas is accompanied by an armed crowd who have been sent by the priests and elders to arrest Jesus. Judas identifies His master with a kiss.
- Matthew 27:45 meaning. Darkness fell upon all the land between the sixth and ninth hour on the day Jesus was crucified. Matthew’s simple and factual account of the crucifixion darkness is both rich in meaning and is the fulfillment of a dozen or more prophecies.
- Genesis 2:7-9 meaning. God makes man from the dust of the ground and he becomes a living being. Man is placed in a beautiful garden with food, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.