Judges 9:8-18

8 "Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

9 "But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

10 "Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come, reign over us!'

11 "But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?'

12 "Then the trees said to the vine, 'You come, reign over us!'

13 "But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?'

14 "Finally all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come, reign over us!'

15 "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.'

16 "Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with ¹Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved * -

17 for my father fought for you and risked * his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

18 but you have risen against my father's house today and have killed ²his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, ³the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your relative -

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Judges 9:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 9

This chapter contains an account of the craft and cruelty of Abimelech, by which he got himself made king of the Shechemites, Jud 9:1-6 of the parable of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, concerning the trees, in which he exposes their folly in making Abimelech king, and foretells the ruin of them both, Jud 9:7-21 of the contentions which arose between Abimelech, and the men of Shechem, increased by Gaal the son of Ebed, Jud 9:22-29 who was drawn into a battle with Abimelech, and beaten and forced to fly, Jud 9:30-41 but the quarrel between Abimelech and the men of Shechem ceased not, but still continued, which issued in the entire ruin of the city and the inhabitants of it, Jud 9:42-49 and in the death of Abimelech himself, according to Jotham's curse, Jud 9:50-57.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 3

1. Judges 8:35
2. Judges 8:30; Judges 9:2, 5
3. Judges 8:31

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "which by me"
[b]. Or "produce"
[c]. Or "sincerity"
[d]. Or "sincerity"
[e]. Lit "if you have"
[f]. Lit "according to the dealing of his hands"
[g]. Lit "cast his soul in front"
[h]. Lit "brother"

Judges 9:8-18

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Judges 9:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 9

Cross References 3

Footnotes 8