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Judges 9:46-48
New English Translation
Judges 9:46-48
New English Translation
46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem[a] heard the news, they went to the stronghold[b] of the temple of El Berith.[c] 47 Abimelech heard[d] that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place.[e] 48 He and all his men[f] went up on Mount Zalmon. He[g] took an ax[h] in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it[i] on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”[j]
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- Judges 9:46 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
- Judges 9:46 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.
- Judges 9:46 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
- Judges 9:47 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
- Judges 9:47 tn Heb “were assembled.”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “his people.”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
- Judges 9:48 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
New English Translation (NET)
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