Judges 9:39

THE MESSAGE

Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with Abimelech. Abimelech chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Gaal went out leading the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,

Hebrew Names Version
Ga`al went out before the men of Shekhem, and fought with Avimelekh.

King James Version
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Lexham English Bible
So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.

English Standard Version
And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

New Century Version
So Gaal led the men of Shechem out to fight Abimelech.

New English Translation
So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech.

Amplified Bible
So Gaal went out ahead of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

New American Standard Bible
So Gaal went out in the sight of the leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelech.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Legacy Standard Bible
Toe trek Gaäl uit voor die burgers van Sigem en veg teen Abiméleg.

Contemporary English Version
Gaal and the leaders of Shechem went out and fought Abimelech.

Complete Jewish Bible
So Ga‘al went out, leading the men of Sh'khem, and fought Avimelekh.

Darby Translation
And Gaal went out before the citizens of Shechem, and fought against Abimelech.

Easy-to-Read Version
So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out to fight Abimelech.

George Lamsa Translation
And Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimeleck.

Good News Translation
Gaal led the men of Shechem out and fought Abimelech.

Literal Translation
And Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Gaal wente forth before the citesyns of Sichem, and foughte with Abimelech.

American Standard Version
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Bible in Basic English
So Gaal went out at the head of the townsmen of Shechem and made war on Abimelech.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Gaal went out before the citezins of Sichem, & fought with Abimelech.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

King James Version (1611)
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem, and set the battle in array against Abimelech.

English Revised Version
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Berean Standard Bible
So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Gaal yede, while the puple of Sichen abood; and he fauyt ayens Abymelech.

Young's Literal Translation
And Gaal goeth out before the masters of Shechem, and fighteth against Abimelech,

Update Bible Version
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

World English Bible
Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

New King James Version
So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

New Living Translation
So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech.

New Life Bible
So Gaal went out in front of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

New Revised Standard
So Gaal went out at the head of the lords of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Gaal went forth before the owners of Shechem, - and fought against Abimelech.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So Gaal went out, in the sight of the people of Sichem, and fought against Abimelech,

Revised Standard Version
And Ga'al went out at the head of the men of Shechem, and fought with Abim'elech.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

Contextual Overview

²²Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Then God brought bad blood between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind his back. Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who had supported the violence. ²⁵ To undermine Abimelech, Shechem's leaders put men in ambush on the mountain passes who robbed travelers on those roads. And Abimelech was told. ²⁶At that time Gaal son of Ebed arrived with his relatives and moved into Shechem. The leaders of Shechem trusted him. One day they went out into the fields, gathered grapes in the vineyards, and trod them in the winepress. Then they held a celebration in their god's temple, a feast, eating and drinking. And then they started putting down Abimelech. ²⁸Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is this Abimelech? And who are we Shechemites to take orders from him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-Baal, and isn't this his henchman Zebul? We belong to the race of Hamor and bear the noble name of Shechem. Why should we be toadies of Abimelech? If I were in charge of this people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, ‘Show me your stuff, Abimelech—let's see who's boss here!'" ³⁰Zebul, governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying and got angry. Secretly he sent messengers to Abimelech with the message, "Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up trouble against you. Here's what you do: Tonight bring your troops and wait in ambush in the field. In the morning, as soon as the sun breaks, get moving and charge the city. Gaal and his troops will come out to you, and you'll know what to do next." ³⁴Abimelech and his troops, four companies of them, went up that night and waited in ambush approaching Shechem. Gaal son of Ebed had gotten up and was standing in the city gate. Abimelech and his troops left their cover. When Gaal saw them he said to Zebul, "Look at that, people coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul said, "That's nothing but mountain shadows; they just look like men." Gaal kept chattering away. ³⁷ Then he said again, "Look at the troops coming down off Tabbur-erez (the Navel of the World)—and one company coming straight from the Oracle Oak." ³⁸ Zebul said, "Where is that big mouth of yours now? You who said, ‘And who is Abimelech that we should take orders from him?' Well, there he is with the troops you ridiculed. Here's your chance. Fight away!" ³⁹Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with Abimelech. Abimelech chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate. ⁴¹ Abimelech set up his field headquarters at Arumah while Zebul kept Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem,.... At the head of them, to meet Abimelech, having gathered together as many, and put them in as good order, as he could, and the time would admit of:

and fought with Abimelech; without the city.