Judges 9:45

“And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, etc.] By throwing stones or arrows into it: and he took the city; it was surrendered to him, not being able to stand out against his forces: and slew the people that was therein; all but those that were of his own family and his friends; all that had taken up arms against him, or had shown their dislike of his government, and were his enemies: and beat down the city; the houses in it, and walls of it, though it was his native place: and sowed it with salt; not to make it barren, for he would rather then have sowed the field, though this would not have had any effect of that kind, for any time at least; but to show his detestation of it,…”

“Sowed it with salt - Expressing by this action his hatred, and his wish, that when utterly destroyed as a city, it might not even be a fruitful field. Salt is the emblem of barrenness (see the marginal references). return to 'Top of Page'”

“With salt - In token of his desire of their utter and irrecoverable destruction. Judges 9:46”

“he took: Jdg 9:20 beat: Deu 29:23; Kg1 12:25; Kg2 3:25; Psa 107:34 \*marg. Eze 47:11; Zep 2:9; Jam 2:13 sowed: Salt in small quantities renders land extremely fertile; but too much of it destroys vegetation. Every place, says Pliny, in which salt is found is barren, and produces nothing. Hence the sowing of a place with salt was a custom in different nations to express permanent desolation. Sigonius observes, that when Milan was taken, ad 1162, the walls were razed, and it was sown with salt. And Brantome informs us, that it was an ancient custom in France, to sow the house of a man with salt, who had been declared a traitor to his king. Charles IX., king of France, the most base and…”

“Thus Abimelech fought all that day against the city and took it; and having slain all the people therein, he destroyed the city and strewed salt upon it. Strewing the ruined city with salt, which only occurs here, was a symbolical act, signifying that the city was to be turned for ever into a barren salt desert. Salt ground is a barren desert (see Job 39:6; Psa 107:34). Judges 9:46”