This brief verse ends the episode.

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead is an independent clause in Hebrew, which is literally “And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead.” Here the phrase the men of Israel uses the generic Hebrew term for “man” (ʾish), where hearers might expect the word for “people” (ʿam). Once again the narrator reflects that there was some kind of Israelite unity at this time, a view that does not fit the historical facts. Translators should render the men of Israel as it stands, even though it is only a small portion of the Israelites who saw Abimelech die. For this phrase see verse 7.23. Since not all the people physically saw the body of Abimelech, some versions may want to say “learned,” “heard,” or “realized.”

They departed every man to his home is literally “and they went [each] man to his place.” This clause signals the end of the revolt led by Abimelech and his men. His attempt to gain power came to an end, and with it, this first attempt to establish a kingdom in Israel had ended. Translators should use language here that is appropriate for a conclusion. Good News Translation has “they all went home,” but the narrator again uses the Hebrew term ʾish (“man”). Though such stylistic features will be hard to render in translation, it is clear that the narrator is marking this text in a very particular way.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .