Judges 9 · Verse 31

Judges 9:31

And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
Judges 9:31, King James Version

Judges 9:31 in other translations

BSBSo he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
WEBHe sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and behold, they incite the city against you.
ASVAnd he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee.
YLTand he sendeth messengers unto Abimelech deceitfully, saying, ‘Lo, Gaal son of Ebed and his brethren are coming into Shechem, and lo, they are fortifying the city against thee;
DARBYand he sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem, and behold, they shut up the city against thee;
BBEAnd he sent to Abimelech at Arumah, saying, See, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are working up the town against you.
WebsterAnd he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed, and his brethren, are come to Shechem; and behold, they fortify the city against thee.

What does Judges 9:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 9:28-45

28-45. would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.

Read the full comment on Judges 9:28-45 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 They fortify the city against thee - Under pretense of repairing the walls and towers, they were actually putting the place in a state of defense, intending to seize on the government as soon as they should find Abimelech coming against them. Fortifying the city may mean seducing the inhabitants from their loyalty to Abimelech.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 9:30-49

Abimelech intended to punish the Schechemites for slighting him now, but God punished them for their serving him formerly in the murder of Gideon's sons. When God uses men as instruments in his hand to do his work, he means one thing, and they another. That, which they hoped would have been for their welfare, proved a snare and a trap, as those will certainly find, who run to idols for shelter; such will prove a…

Read the full comment on Judges 9:30-49 →

Judges 9:31 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֧חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
מַלְאָכִ֛יםmal.'a.KhimmessengersH4397
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ'a.vi.Me.lekhAbimelechH40
בְּתָרְמָ֣הbe.ta.re.Mahin treacheryH8649
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הִנֵּה֩hi.Nehhere!H2009
גַ֨עַלGa.'alGaalH1603
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
עֶ֤בֶד'E.vedEbedH5651
וְאֶחָיו֙ve.'e.Chavand brothers hisH251
בָּאִ֣יםba.'Im[are] comingH935
שְׁכֶ֔מָהshe.Khe.mahShechem towardsH7927
וְהִנָּ֛םve.hi.Namand here theyH2009
צָרִ֥יםtza.Rim[are] shutting upH6696
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעִ֖ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
עָלֶֽיךָ\׃'a.Lei.khaon youH5921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
privily. Heb. craftily, or, to Tormah. they fortify.Under pretence of repairing the walls and towers, they were actually putting the place in a state of defence, intending to seize on the government as soon as they found Abimelech coming against them.
31

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 9:30

    And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

  • Judges 9:31

    And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

  • Judges 9:32

    Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

Read all of Judges 9

Judges 9:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y envió sagazmente mensajeros á Abimelech, diciendo: He aquí que Gaal hijo de Ebed y sus hermanos han venido á Sichêm, y he aquí, que han cercado la ciudad contra ti.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il envoya astucieusement des messagers à Abimélec, disant: Voici, Gaal, fils d’Ébed, et ses frères, sont venus à Sichem; et voici, ils ferment la ville contre toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und er sandte Boten an Abimelech mit List und sprach: Siehe, Gaal, der Sohn Ebeds, und seine Brüder sind nach Sichem gekommen, und siehe, sie wiegeln die Stadt wider dich auf.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et misit clam ad Abimelech nuntios, dicens: Ecce Gaal filius Obed venit in Sichimam cum fratribus suis, et oppugnat adversum te civitatem.