Discovery BoxJudges 9:50-56 
Context9:50 Abimelech moved on 1 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 2 9:51 There was a fortified 3 tower 4 in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 9:52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 9:53 a woman threw an upper millstone 5 down on his 6 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 7 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 8 ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 9:55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. 9
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 10
1 tn Or “went.”
2 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
3 tn Or “strong.”
4 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
5 sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.
6 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
7 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
10 tn Heb “seventy brothers.”
