Judges 9:53 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

A woman threw a piece of a millstone down on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes how a woman killed the tyrant Abimelech by dropping a millstone on his head, ending his violent reign.

📚 Historical Context

In the Book of Judges, Abimelech was a son of Gideon who seized power by killing his seventy brothers and declaring himself ruler over the city of Shechem, leading to a period of unrest and rebellion in Israel around 1100 BC. His violent actions provoked conflicts, including an attack on the city of Thebez, where the people resisted his tyranny. During the siege of Thebez, a woman dropped a piece of a millstone from the city walls, striking Abimelech and mortally wounding him, which marked the end of his oppressive reign and fulfilled a prophecy of divine judgment.

Explore Similar Verses

Judges 9:56

This is how God paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

Judges 9:45

Abimelech fought against the city all day long. He captured the city, killed the people who lived there, tore down the city completely, and scattered salt all over it.

2 Samuel 11:21

Who killed Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn't a woman throw a piece of a millstone down on him from the wall, killing him at Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall? Then tell him, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.'

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