Discovery BoxJudges 9:52-57 
Context9:52 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 1 down on his 2 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 3 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 4 ‘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. 5
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 6 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 7 on them.
1 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.
2 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
3 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
6 tn Heb “seventy brothers.”
7 tn Heb “came.”
