Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, September 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Judges 9:45

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Judge;   Shechem;   Thompson Chain Reference - Conquests;   Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies;   Cities;   Salt;   Sieges;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jotham;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   House;   Salt;   Shechem;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Destroy, Destruction;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Gaal;   Jotham;   Salt;   Zebul;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (2);   Salt;   Shechem (1);   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Ambush;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Israel;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Ophrah;   Palestine;   Salt;   Shalman;   Shechem;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shechem ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gaal;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Fenced Cities,;   She'chem;   War;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Salt;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Salt;   Zebul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ban;   Salt;  

Parallel Translations

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.
Hebrew Names Version
Avimelekh fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people that were in it; then he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.
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.
New Century Version
Abimelech and his men fought the city of Shechem all day until they captured it and killed its people. Then he tore it down and threw salt over the ruins.
New English Translation
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.
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.
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Abimelech had fought against the citie all that day, he tooke the citie, and slewe the people that was therein, and destroyed the citie and sowed salt in it.
Legacy Standard Bible
En Abiméleg het daardie hele dag teen die stad geveg en die stad ingeneem en die mense wat daarin was, gedood en die stad afgebreek en dit met sout besaai.
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Avimelekh fought against the city all that day; captured it, killed its people, destroyed its buildings and sowed its land with salt.
Darby Translation
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and broke down the city, and sowed it with salt.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abimelech and his men fought against the city of Shechem all that day. They captured the city of Shechem and killed its people. Then Abimelech tore down the city and threw salt over the ruins.
George Lamsa Translation
And Abimeleck fought in the city all that day; and he took the city, and he slew all the people that were in it, and he destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.
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.
Literal Translation
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and captured the city. And he killed the people in it; and he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The foughte Abimelech agaynst the cite all ye same daye, and wanne it, and slewe the people that was there in, and brake downe ye cite, and sowed salt theron.
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.
Bible in Basic English
And all that day Abimelech was fighting against the town; and he took it, and put to death the people who were in it, and had the town pulled down and covered with salt.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Abimelech had fought against the citie al that day, he toke it, and slue the people that was therin, and destroyed the citie, and sowed salte in it.
JPS Old Testament (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.
King James Version (1611)
And Abimelech fought against the citie all that day, and he tooke the citie, and slewe the people that was therein, and beat downe the citie, and sowed it with salt.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.
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.
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Certis Abymelech fauyt ayens the citee in al that dai, which he took, whanne the dwelleris weren slayn, and that citee was destried, so that he spreynte abrood salt ther ynne.
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.
Update Bible 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.
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 who were therein: and he 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 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.
New Life Bible
Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it. Then he destroyed the city and covered it with salt.
New Revised Standard
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.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, Abimelech, fought against the city, all that day, and captured the city, the people also that were therein, he slew, - and brake down the city, and sowed it with salt.
Revised Standard Version
And Abim'elech 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 American Standard Bible (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.

Contextual Overview

22 So Abimelech reigned over Israel three years. 23 And the Lord sent a very evil spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Sichem; who began to detest him, 24 And to lay the crime of the murder of the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and the shedding of their blood, upon Abimelech, their brother, and upon the rest of the princes of the Sichemites, who aided him. 25 And they set an ambush against him on the top of the mountains: and while they waited for his coming, they committed robberies, taking spoils of all that passed by: and it was told Abimelech. 26 And Gaal, the son of Obed, came with his brethren, and went over to Sichem. And the inhabitants of Sichem, taking courage at his coming, 27 Went out into the fields, wasting the vineyards, and treading down the grapes: and singing and dancing, they went into the temple of their god, and in their banquets and cups they cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal, the son of Obed, cried: Who is Abimelech, and what is Sichem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and hath made Zebul, his servant, ruler over the men of Emor, the father of Sichem? Why then shall we serve him? 29 Would to God that some man would put this people under my hand, that I might remove Abimelech out of the way. And it was said to Abimelech: Gather together the multitude of an army, and come. 30 For Zebul, the ruler of the city, hearing the words of Gaal, the son of Obed, was very angry, 31 And sent messengers privately to Abimelech, saying: Behold, Gaal, the son of Obed, is come into Sichem with his brethren, and endeavoureth to set the city against thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he took: Judges 9:20

beat: Deuteronomy 29:23, 1 Kings 12:25, 2 Kings 3:25, Psalms 107:34, *marg. Ezekiel 47:11, Zephaniah 2:9, James 2:13

sowed: Salt in small quantities renders land extremely fertile; but too much of it destroys vegetation. Every place, says Pliny, in which salt is found is barren, and produces nothing. Hence the sowing of a place with salt was a custom in different nations to express permanent desolation. Sigonius observes, that when Milan was taken, ad 1162, the walls were razed, and it was sown with salt. And Brantome informs us, that it was an ancient custom in France, to sow the house of a man with salt, who had been declared a traitor to his king. Charles IX., king of France, the most base and perfidious of human beings, caused the house of Admiral Coligni - whom he and the Duke of Guise caused to be murdered, with thousands more of Protestants, on the eve of St. Bartholomew, 1572 to be sown with salt!

Reciprocal: Judges 9:56 - God rendered Judges 9:57 - upon them 1 Kings 16:17 - besieged Tirzah 2 Kings 2:20 - salt therein Jeremiah 17:6 - a salt

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day,.... By throwing stones or arrows into it:

and he took the city; it was surrendered to him, not being able to stand out against his forces:

and slew the people that was therein; all but those that were of his own family and his friends; all that had taken up arms against him, or had shown their dislike of his government, and were his enemies:

and beat down the city; the houses in it, and walls of it, though it was his native place:

and sowed it with salt; not to make it barren, for he would rather then have sowed the field, though this would not have had any effect of that kind, for any time at least; but to show his detestation of it, because of the ill usage he had met with, and as a token of its perpetual destruction, to which he devoted it, determining that if it was in his power it should never be rebuilt; but it was hereafter, and became again a very flourishing city in Jeroboam's time. Thus the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, in the year 1162, when he took Milan, not only ploughed it up, but sowed it with salt; and in memory of it there is a street in it, now called "la contrada della Sala" n: besides, Abimelech did this to deter other cities from rebelling against him; for if he so used his own city, more severely, if possible, would he use others.

n Sigonius de regn. Ital. l. 13, & 14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sowed it with salt - Expressing by this action his hatred, and his wish, that when utterly destroyed as a city, it might not even be a fruitful field. Salt is the emblem of barrenness (see the marginal references).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 9:45. And sowed it with salt. — Intending that the destruction of this city should be a perpetual memorial of his achievements. The salt was not designed to render it barren, as some have imagined; for who would think of cultivating a city? but as salt is an emblem of incorruption and perpetuity, it was no doubt designed to perpetuate the memorial of this transaction, and as a token that he wished this desolation to be eternal. This sowing a place with salt was a custom in different nations to express permanent desolation and abhorrence. Sigonius observes that when the city of Milan was taken, in A.D. 1162, the walls were razed, and it was sown with salt. And Brantome informs us that it was ancient custom in France to sow the house of a man with salt, who had been declared a traitor to his king. Charles IX., king of France, the most base and perfidious of human beings, caused the house of the Admiral Coligni (whom he and the Duke of Guise caused to be murdered, with thousands more of Protestants, on the eve of St. Bartholomew, 1572) to be sown with salt! How many houses have been since sown with salt in France by the just judgments of God, in revenge for the massacre of the Protestants on the eve of St. Bartholomew! Yet for all this God's wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile