The Meaning of Judges 9:53 Explained

Judges 9:53

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

YLT: and a certain woman doth cast a piece of a rider on the head of Abimelech, and breaketh his skull,

Darby: And a certain woman threw an upper millstone upon Abim'elech's head, and crushed his skull.

ASV: And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and brake his skull.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Judges 9:53 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 9:53 mean?

But dropped woman a an upper millstone on head of Abimelech and crushed - his skull
וַתַּשְׁלֵ֞ךְ אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחַ֛ת פֶּ֥לַח רֶ֖כֶב עַל־ רֹ֣אשׁ אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַתָּ֖רִץ אֶת־ גֻּלְגָּלְתּֽוֹ

וַתַּשְׁלֵ֞ךְ  But  dropped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אִשָּׁ֥ה  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
פֶּ֥לַח  an  upper 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּלַח  
Sense: cleavage, mill-stone, cut, slice, part cut off.
רֶ֖כֶב  millstone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
רֹ֣אשׁ  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ  of  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
וַתָּ֖רִץ  and  crushed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָצַץ  
Sense: to crush, oppress.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
גֻּלְגָּלְתּֽוֹ  his  skull 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גֻּלְגֹּלֶת  
Sense: head, poll, skull.