Judges 9:40

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(40) Abimelech chased him . . .—He won a complete victory; but Gaal and his forces were able to secure themselves in Shechem. They succeeded in closing the gates against Abimelech, but only at the cost of many lives.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 refuge of lies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The plain of Meonenim - Translate "the oak of the soothsayers" (see the margin). Some well-known oak, so called, but which is not mentioned elsewhere.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He fled before him; being surprised by the unexpected coming of Abimelech, and possibly not fully prepared for the encounter.

Many were overthrown and wounded, being pursued and overtaken by Abimelech.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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) "et ceciderant vulnerati multi", Pagninus, Montanus.

Geneva Study Bible

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

40. wounded] i.e. mortally, so slain, 1 Samuel 31:1, 1 Chronicles 5:22, 2 Chronicles 13:17; cf. Jdg 16:24.

the entering of the gate] Cf. Jdg 9:44. The city gateway (sha‘ar) was a large building and covered a considerable space, cf. Joshua 20:4, 1 Kings 22:10; it included a high entrance (péthaḥ) and a door (déleth), or doors, with posts and bars, Jdg 16:3. Abimelech did not enter the city, probably because he thought that the Shechemites had been punished enough. Zebul was now in a position to deal with Gaal and his following, Jdg 9:41.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 40. - Were overthrown and wounded. The simple translation of the Hebrew is, and there fell many slain even unto the entering of the gate, showing that Abimelech's men pursued them to the very gate of the city. Judges 9:40

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Then Gaal went out "before the citizens of Shechem;" i.e., not at their head as their leaders, which is the meaning of לפני in Genesis 33:3; Exodus 13:21; Numbers 10:35, etc., - for, according to Judges 9:33-35, Gaal had only gone out of the town with his own retinue, and, according to Judges 9:42, Judges 9:43, the people of Shechem did not go out till the next day, - but "in the sight of the lords of Shechem," so that they looked upon the battle. But the battle ended unfortunately for him. Abimelech put him to flight (רדף as in Leviticus 26:36), and there fell many slain up to the gate of the city, into which Gaal had fled with his followers.