◄ Judges 9:51 ►
But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
Study Bible
But there was a strong tower inside the city
The presence of a strong tower within a city was a common feature in ancient Near Eastern urban planning. Towers served as defensive structures, providing a vantage point for surveillance and protection against invaders. In the context of Judges 9, the city is Shechem, a significant location in Israel's history, known for its covenantal associations (Joshua 24:25). The tower symbolizes a place of refuge and strength, reminiscent of God being described as a "strong tower" in Proverbs 18:10, offering safety to those who seek Him.

and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there
The flight of the city's inhabitants, including its leaders, to the tower indicates a moment of desperation and fear. This reflects the chaotic and violent period of the Judges, where leadership was often unstable, and cities were vulnerable to internal and external threats. The inclusion of both men and women highlights the indiscriminate nature of the threat posed by Abimelech, Gideon's son, who sought to consolidate power through violence. This act of fleeing to the tower can be seen as a parallel to seeking refuge in God during times of trouble, as seen in Psalms 46:1.

They locked themselves in
Locking themselves in the tower was a defensive measure, indicating the severity of the threat they faced. This action underscores the human instinct to seek security and protection in times of danger. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of seeking refuge, as seen in the Psalms, where God is often depicted as a fortress and deliverer (Psalm 18:2). The act of locking themselves in can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual security found in faith and trust in God.

and went up to the roof of the tower
Ascending to the roof of the tower was likely a strategic move, providing a higher ground for defense and a better view of the surrounding area. In biblical narratives, rooftops often serve as places of significant events or revelations (e.g., 2 Samuel 11:2, Acts 10:9). The rooftop in this context becomes a place of final stand and confrontation, foreshadowing the dramatic conclusion of Abimelech's siege. This ascent can also be seen as a symbolic act of reaching towards God, seeking His intervention and deliverance in dire circumstances.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abimelech
The son of Gideon, who declared himself king and led a violent campaign against Shechem and other cities.

2. The City of Thebez
A city that Abimelech attacked after his campaign against Shechem. Thebez had a strong tower where the inhabitants sought refuge.

3. The Strong Tower
A central structure in Thebez where the city's inhabitants fled for safety. It symbolizes refuge and protection.

4. Men and Women of Thebez
The inhabitants who sought safety in the tower, representing the community's collective action in the face of danger.

5. The Roof of the Tower
The place where the people gathered, indicating their last stand against Abimelech's assault.
Teaching Points
Seek Refuge in God
Just as the people of Thebez sought safety in the strong tower, believers are encouraged to seek refuge in God during times of trouble.

Community in Crisis
The collective action of the men and women of Thebez highlights the importance of community support and unity in facing challenges.

Spiritual Strongholds
Believers should build their lives on the strong foundation of faith, ensuring that their spiritual "towers" are fortified against life's storms.

God as Our Protector
The imagery of the strong tower serves as a reminder of God's protective nature and His role as a refuge for His people.

Stand Firm in Faith
Like the inhabitants of Thebez, Christians are called to stand firm in their faith, trusting in God's strength and protection.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the strong tower in Thebez symbolize God's protection in your life today?

2. In what ways can you seek refuge in God during times of personal crisis, as the people of Thebez did?

3. How can the unity of the men and women of Thebez inspire your involvement in your faith community?

4. What are some "strong towers" or spiritual practices you can build into your life to withstand challenges?

5. How do the additional scriptures about God as a strong tower deepen your understanding of His protective nature?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 61:3
This verse describes God as a strong tower, providing a spiritual parallel to the physical refuge sought by the people of Thebez.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is described as a strong tower, emphasizing the theme of divine protection.

2 Samuel 22:3
David refers to God as his rock and fortress, reinforcing the idea of God as a place of safety.

Matthew 7:24-27
Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders highlights the importance of a strong foundation, akin to the strong tower in Thebez.

Ephesians 6:10-18
The armor of God passage encourages believers to stand firm, much like the people of Thebez who took refuge in the tower.
Sermons
The Nemesis of UsurpationA.F. Muir Judges 9:22-57
People
Abimelech, Ebed, Gaal, Hamor, Jerubbaal, Jotham, Ophrah, Zalmon, Zebul
Places
Arumah, Beer, Beth-millo, Diviners' Oak, Lebanon, Midian, Mount Gerizim, Mount Zalmon, Ophrah, Shechem, Thebez, Tower of Shechem
Topics
Ascended, Behind, Center, Climbed, Fled, Flee, Flight, Gat, Got, However, Leaders, Locked, Masters, Middle, Midst, Roof, Shut, Shutting, Strong, Themselves, Thither, Tower, Town, Within, Women
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Judges 9:50-52

     5315   fortifications

Judges 9:50-53

     4482   millstones

Judges 9:51-52

     5585   towers

Library
Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. Scripture relates that God sometimes complied with certain prayers which had been dictated by minds not duly calmed or regulated. It is true, that the cause for which Jotham imprecated on the inhabitants of Shechem the disaster which afterwards befell them was well founded; but still he was inflamed with anger and revenge (Judges 9:20); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervour …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

Trials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

Hence is Also that which Thou Hast Mentioned that they Speak Of...
28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples; and upon their drawing near to the village whither they were going, He made as though He would have gone farther: where the Evangelist, saying, "But He Himself feigned that He would go further," [2435] hath put that very word in which liars too greatly delight, that they may with impunity lie: as if every thing that is feigned is a lie, whereas in a truthful …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God, …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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