Judges 9:20

20 But if you haven't, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn you up! And let fire come out from you and burn Abimelech up!"

Judges 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:20

But if not
If it appeared that they had not acted uprightly and sincerely in this matter:

let fire come out of Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the
house of Millo;
let wrath, rage, and fury, break out from Abimelech like fire, and issue in the destruction of those that made him king, both those of Shechem and of Millo:

and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech;
let them be incensed against Abimelech, and seek his ruin, and procure it: the sense is, that he wishes that strife, contention, and quarrels, might arise among them, and they mutually destroy each other; the words are imprecative of evil upon them both, and which had its exact fulfilment.

Judges 9:20 In-Context

18 But today you have turned against my father's family. You have murdered his 70 sons on a big rock. Abimelech is only the son of my father's female slave. But you have made him king over the citizens of Shechem. You have done that because he's related to you.

19 "Have you citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo acted in an honest way toward Jerub-Baal? Have you done the right thing to his family today? If you have, may you be happy with Abimelech! And may he be happy with you!

20 But if you haven't, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn you up! And let fire come out from you and burn Abimelech up!"

21 Then Jotham ran away. He escaped to Beer. He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.