Judges 9:45 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Abimelech captures Shechem, kills its people, demolishes it, and sows it with salt.
What Does Judges 9:45 Mean?
Abimelech battles the city the whole day, captures it, kills those within, tears it down, and sows it with salt -- a sign meant to leave it desolate and barren.
The destruction of Shechem is total. Sowing salt declares the place accursed, fit for nothing to grow there again. This is the fire from Abimelech devouring the men of Shechem, just as Jotham foretold. Yet the reader knows this is only half the prophecy. The king who pours out such ruin on others is storing up the very same ruin for himself, for the word said fire would come from Shechem to devour Abimelech too.
Judges 9:45 in the Original Language
sowed it with salt -- a symbolic act declaring a place cursed and permanently barren, fit for no future life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 9:45
What does Judges 9:45 mean?
Abimelech captures Shechem, kills its people, demolishes it, and sows it with salt.