שופטים, פרק ט׳, פסוק מ״ט

Following the command of their leader, the army carries out a brutal and unusual military operation. Rather than engaging in a prolonged siege against a fortified stronghold, the attackers use tree branches to construct a deadly fire trap, ensuring the mass death of the tower's inhabitants through fire and smoke [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Executing this plan, every man in the force cuts down a branch for himself [רד״ק]. They carry the gathered wood to the tower, piling the branches closely around the base of the structure rather than placing them directly on top of the roof [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Once the trap is set, they ignite the wood, engulfing the area in flames [מצודת ציון].

The purpose of this tactic is to bypass the dangers of a direct assault on the fortified building. Abimelech prefers to set the structure ablaze, deliberately choosing to burn and suffocate all those taking refuge inside. This ruthless strategy proves devastatingly effective, resulting in the tragic deaths of approximately a thousand men and women [ביאור שטיינזלץ].