The Meaning of Judges 9:54 Explained

Judges 9:54

KJV: Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

YLT: and he calleth hastily unto the young man bearing his weapons, and saith to him, 'Draw thy sword, and thou hast put me to death, lest they say of me -- A woman slew him;' and his young man pierced him through, and he dieth.

Darby: Then he called hastily to the young man his armor-bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

ASV: Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then he called  hastily  unto the young man  his armourbearer,  and said  unto him, Draw  thy sword,  and slay  me, that men say  not of me, A woman  slew  him. And his young man  thrust him through,  and he died. 

What does Judges 9:54 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:41-57 - The Burning Of The Bramble
Terrible deeds like these give tokens of the power of the god of this world, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Alas, similar atrocities are being perpetrated still, after all these centuries of what is called Christian civilization. But this Christianity is only a very shallow veneer, and when national passions break loose, there is little to choose between war today and in pre-Christian ages.
Men have no right to attribute the sins, cruelties, barbarities and enormities of the present day to Christianity. They are due to its absence. The whole Gospel of the Son of man protests against them. We must sadly admit that His "enemy hath done this." And there will be no real cessation of the evils beneath which the world groans until the King comes to His own and sets up His everlasting Kingdom. What has happened of late in Europe, notwithstanding all the efforts toward arbitration and peace, proves that something new must be brought to pass before the Father's kingdom can come and His will be done on earth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 9

1  Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7  Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22  Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30  Zebul reveals it
34  Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46  He burns the hold of the god Berith
50  At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56  Jotham's curse is fulfilled

What do the individual words in Judges 9:54 mean?

And he called quickly to the young man bearer his armorbearer and said to him Draw your sword and kill me lest they say of me a woman killed him so thrust him through his young man and he died
וַיִּקְרָ֨א מְהֵרָ֜ה אֶל־ הַנַּ֣עַר ׀ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֗יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ שְׁלֹ֤ף חַרְבְּךָ֙ וּמ֣וֹתְתֵ֔נִי פֶּן־ יֹ֥אמְרוּ לִ֖י אִשָּׁ֣ה הֲרָגָ֑תְהוּ וַיִּדְקְרֵ֥הוּ נַעֲר֖וֹ וַיָּמֹֽת

וַיִּקְרָ֨א  And  he  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
מְהֵרָ֜ה  quickly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְהֵרָה  
Sense: haste, speed.
הַנַּ֣עַר ׀  the  young  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
נֹשֵׂ֣א  bearer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
כֵלָ֗יו  his  armorbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לוֹ֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
שְׁלֹ֤ף  Draw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַף  
Sense: to draw out or off, take off.
חַרְבְּךָ֙  your  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּמ֣וֹתְתֵ֔נִי  and  kill  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יֹ֥אמְרוּ  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֖י  of  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אִשָּׁ֣ה  a  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
הֲרָגָ֑תְהוּ  killed  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
וַיִּדְקְרֵ֥הוּ  so  thrust  him  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַר  
Sense: to pierce, thrust through, pierce through.
נַעֲר֖וֹ  his  young  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וַיָּמֹֽת  and  he  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 9:54?

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