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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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THE MESSAGE

Judges 9:40

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conspiracy;   Gaal;   Judge;   Zebul;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gaal;   Jotham;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Shechem;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Gaal;   Zebul;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Ebed;   Gaal;   Judges, Book of;   Zebul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Israel;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Ophrah;   Palestine;   Shalman;   Shechem;   Zebul;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ebed;   Gaal ;   Shechem ;   Zebul ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gaal;   Gate;   Smith Bible Dictionary - She'chem;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Zebul;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Numerous bodies were strewn as far as the entrance of the city gate.
Hebrew Names Version
Avimelekh chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.
King James Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
Lexham English Bible
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate.
English Standard Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
New Century Version
Abimelech and his men chased them, and many of Gaal's men were killed before they could get back to the city gate.
New English Translation
Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran from him. Many Shechemites fell wounded at the entrance of the gate.
Amplified Bible
Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate.
New American Standard Bible
But Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Abimelech pursued him, and he fledde before him, and many were ouerthrowen and wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.
Legacy Standard Bible
Maar Abiméleg het hom agtervolg, en hy het voor hom uit gevlug, en baie het gesneuwel tot by die ingang van die poort.
Contemporary English Version
Soon the people of Shechem turned and ran back into the town. However, Abimelech and his troops were close behind and killed many of them along the way.
Complete Jewish Bible
But Avimelekh gave chase, and Ga‘al took to flight; many fell wounded, strewn all along the way to the city gate.
Darby Translation
And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, as far as the entrance of the gate.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abimelech and his men chased Gaal and his men. Gaal's men ran back toward the gate of the city of Shechem, but many were killed before they could get back to the gate.
George Lamsa Translation
And Abimeleck chased him, and he fled before him, and many people fell slain, even to the entrance of the gate.
Good News Translation
Abimelech started after Gaal, and Gaal ran. Many were wounded, even at the city gate.
Literal Translation
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell down wounded, to the opening of the gate.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Abimelech chaced him, so that he fled, and there fell many slayne euen vnto the gate of the cite.
American Standard Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.
Bible in Basic English
And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Abimelech chased him, that he fled before him, and many were ouerthrowen & wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.
King James Version (1611)
And Abimelech chased him, and hee fledde before him, and many were ouerthrowen and wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him; and many fell down slain as far as the door of the gate.
English Revised Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
Berean Standard Bible
but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which pursuede Gaal fleynge, and constreynede to go in to the citee; and ful many of his part felde doun `til to the yate of the citee.
Young's Literal Translation
and Abimelech pursueth him, and he fleeth from his presence, and many fall wounded -- unto the opening of the gate.
Update Bible Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] to the entrance of the gate.
World English Bible
Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.
New King James Version
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate.
New Living Translation
But Abimelech chased him, and many of Shechem's men were wounded and fell along the road as they retreated to the city gate.
New Life Bible
Abimelech went after Gaal. And Gaal ran away from him. Many were hurt and fell all the way to the gate.
New Revised Standard
Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. Many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, - and there fell a multitude of slain as far as the entering of the gate.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who chased and put him to flight, and drove him to the city: and many were slain of his people, even to the gate of the city:
Revised Standard Version
And Abim'elech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate.

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

he fled before: 1 Kings 20:18-21, 1 Kings 20:30

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him,.... Abimelech got the better of him in the battle, and obliged him to give way, and he pursued him closely as he was fleeing:

and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate; or, "they fell many wounded" k, or slain, as the Targum; that is, many were killed and wounded, as in the battle, so in the pursuit, and lay all the way to the entrance into the gate of the city, to which Gaal, and the men of Shechem, made for their safety, and got in.

k נפלו חללים "et ceciderant vulnerati multi", Pagninus, Montanus.


 
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