And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And Abimelech coming near the tower, fought stoutly: and approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it:

And Abimelech cometh unto the tower, and fighteth against it, and draweth nigh unto the opening of the tower to burn it with fire,

And Abimelech came to the tower and made an attack on it, and got near to the door of the tower for the purpose of firing it.

And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went close unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And Abimelech, drawing near the tower, fought valiantly. And approaching the gate, he strove to set it on fire.

Went hard unto the door - i. e. went close to the door. An act of manifest danger, seeing the roof was covered with persons who would be likely to throw down missiles of all sorts on the heads of their assailants. But the hatred of Abimelech, and his thirst for revenge, made him despise danger.

And Abimelech came unto the tower,.... With his army to besiege it:
and fought against it; using all the methods he could to oblige those in it to surrender:
and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire; in order to get entrance into it; and perhaps the tower was built of stone, so that no other part could be set fire to; and to do this he drew near to the door himself, for nothing more is meant by the phrase, "went hard", than drawing near in his own person to the door; hazarding his life in the enterprise, being so bent upon it, thinking to do by this tower what he had done to the hold of the temple of Baalberith.