Judges 9:16

16 "If you acted with sincerity and integrity when you made Abimelech king, [be happy.] If you treated Jerubbaal and his family well, if you treated him as he deserved, be happy.

Judges 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:16

Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye
have made Abimelech king
If they had done this conscientiously, and in the uprightness of their hearts, to take such a base man, and a murderer, and make him their king, which Jotham doubted, and put it in this manner to them, that they might consider of it themselves:

if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal, and his house;
if they could think so, which surely they could not, when they reflected upon the murder of his family they had consented to:

and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
to his memory, and to his family, according to the merit of his works which he had performed on their account, next mentioned.

Judges 9:16 In-Context

14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You come and be our king!'

15 But the thornbush responded to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me to be your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. But if not, fire will come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.'

16 "If you acted with sincerity and integrity when you made Abimelech king, [be happy.] If you treated Jerubbaal and his family well, if you treated him as he deserved, be happy.

17 My father fought for you. He risked his life and rescued you from Midian.

18 But today you have attacked my father's family. You have executed his 70 sons. You have made Abimelech, who is the son of my father's slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem just because he's your brother.