Judges 9:36
in Judges 9When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!” But Zebul replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
KJV
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
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This verse in Judges 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
lay in wait against Shechem in four companies
on Judges 9:34-36
Gaal stands "at the entrance of the city gate," where a town's leaders sat to judge, and sees men coming off the hills. Zebul answers, "The shadows of the mountains look like men to you," holding him there while the companies close in. In the Hebrew, shadows is the thornbush's word for its shade at verse 15, and the man the town trusted is told that armed men are shadows.
This site's exposition
The shadows of the mountains look like men
John Wesley explains why the excuse could work, since in the morning the shadows are longest and move quickest. He also holds that Zebul hid his anger and feigned agreement so as to draw Gaal out where Abimelech could fight him. The ambush was set for sunrise at verse 33.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), takes notice of their approach to Zebul that was standing with him, little thinking that he had sent for them and was now expecting them. "Look," says he, "do not I see a body of men coming down from the mountain towards us? Yonder they are," pointing to the place.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
To Zebul - Who concealed the anger which he had conceived, ver. 30, and pretended compliance with him in this expedition, that he might draw him forth into the field where Abimelech might have the opportunity of fighting with him, and overthrowing him. The shadow - For in the morning, as this was, and in the evening, the shadows are longest, and move quickest.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-30-anchored-36-36
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּרְא־ | vaiyar'- | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| גַּעַל֮ | gaal | Gaal | H1603 → | 9 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָם֒ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זְבֻ֔ל | zevul | Zebul | H2083 → | 6 times |
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עָ֣ם | ʾam | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יוֹרֵ֔ד | yored | [is] coming down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מֵרָאשֵׁ֖י | merashei | from [the] tops of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הֶהָרִ֑ים | heharim | the mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זְבֻ֔ל | zevul | Zebul | H2083 → | 6 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צֵ֧ל | tzel | [the] shadow of | H6738 → | |
| הֶהָרִ֛ים | heharim | the mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| אַתָּ֥ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| רֹאֶ֖ה | roeh | [are] seeing | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כָּאֲנָשִֽׁים׃ ס | kaanashim | like <the> men | H582 → | 566 times |
וַיַּרְא־and he saw
vaiyar'-H7200 →1300 times
גַּעַל֮Gaal
gaalH1603 →9 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָם֒the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
זְבֻ֔לZebul
zevulH2083 →6 times
הִנֵּה־there!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
עָ֣םa people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
יוֹרֵ֔ד[is] coming down
yoredH3381 →381 times
מֵרָאשֵׁ֖יfrom [the] tops of
merasheiH7218 →599 times
הֶהָרִ֑יםthe mountains
heharimH2022 →546 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
זְבֻ֔לZebul
zevulH2083 →6 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
צֵ֧ל[the] shadow of
tzelH6738 →
הֶהָרִ֛יםthe mountains
heharimH2022 →546 times
אַתָּ֥הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
רֹאֶ֖ה[are] seeing
roehH7200 →1300 times
כָּאֲנָשִֽׁים׃ סlike <the> men
kaanashimH582 →566 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 8:24The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 29:18
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
- 1 Corinthians 13:9–12
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
- Isaiah 32:3
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
- Isaiah 29:18
Through
Ezekiel 7:7Doom has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come; the day is near; there is panic on the mountains instead of shouts of joy.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 7:12
The time has come; the day has arrived. Let the buyer not rejoice and the seller not mourn, for wrath is upon the whole multitude.
- Ezekiel 12:28
Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord GOD.’”
- Isaiah 22:5
For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
- Genesis 19:15
At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
- Ezekiel 12:23–25
Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days…
- Ezekiel 7:12
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.