And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
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.
This verse describes Abimelech's complete and brutal destruction of a city, including killing its inhabitants and making the land unable to grow crops by salting it.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, Abimelech, son of Gideon, seized power by killing his brothers and was later opposed by the people of Shechem, who had initially supported him. After a rebellion led by the city, he launched a brutal attack to reclaim control and punish the inhabitants. Sowing the city with salt was an ancient practice symbolizing total destruction and a curse to make the land barren, ensuring it could not be rebuilt or inhabited.
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