And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
So he took his soldiers and divided them into three groups, and they hid in the field, waiting. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men attacked and struck them down.
This verse describes Abimelech setting up a military ambush, dividing his forces into three groups to surprise attack people coming out of the city.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes part of Abimelech's violent campaign to maintain his illegitimate rule over Israel around 1100 BC. Abimelech was Gideon's son who had murdered his 70 brothers to seize power, and this passage shows him using military tactics to crush opposition from the city of Shechem, which had initially supported him but later rebelled.
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