שופטים, פרק ט׳, פסוק ל״ה

The military clash between the forces of Gaal son of Ebed and Abimelech reaches a critical tactical turning point right at the city gates. Early in the morning, Gaal steps out but halts his advance at the entrance. Commentators offer two complementary reasons for this pause. On a practical level, he stops to arrange and organize his troops before marching forward [מלבי״ם]. At the same time, positioning himself prominently at the gate serves as a deliberate challenge, allowing him to project a provoking presence to his enemies [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Meanwhile, Abimelech and his men are waiting in secret. Their sudden emergence from hiding is actually triggered by a miscalculation. Abimelech incorrectly assumes that Gaal has already left the city limits and is entirely exposed in the open field [מלבי״ם]. Acting on this assumption, Abimelech and his soldiers rise from their respective positions [ביאור שטיינזלץ], intending to march directly on the city and launch an open battle [מצודת דוד].