Judges 9:9

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the olive tree said to them,“Should I stop giving my oilthat people use to honor both God and men,and rule over the trees?”

Hebrew Names Version
But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?

King James Version
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Lexham English Bible
And the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop producing my oil, which by me gods and men are honored, to go sway over the trees?'

English Standard Version
But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?'

New Century Version
"But the olive tree said, ‘Men and gods are honored by my oil. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the other trees?'

New English Translation
But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!'

Amplified Bible
"But the olive tree said to them, 'Should I give up my fatness by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

New American Standard Bible
"But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I give up my fatness with which God and mankind are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
But the oliue tree said vnto them, Should I leaue my fatnes, wherewith by me they honour God & man, & go to aduance me aboue ye trees?

Legacy Standard Bible
But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Contemporary English Version
But the olive tree replied, "My oil brings honor to people and gods. I won't stop making oil, just to have my branches wave above the other trees."

Complete Jewish Bible
But the olive tree replied, ‘Am I supposed to leave my oil, which is used to honor both God and humanity, just to go and hold sway over the trees?'

Darby Translation
And the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to wave over the trees?

Easy-to-Read Version
"But the olive tree said, ‘My oil is used to honor gods and humans. Should I stop making my oil just to go and sway over the other trees?'

George Lamsa Translation
But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fertility, by which gods and men are honored, to be abominated for reigning over the trees?

Good News Translation
The olive tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and human beings.'

Literal Translation
And the olive said to them, Should I cease from my fatness, by which they honor God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the Olyue tre answered them: Shall I go and leaue my fatnesse (which both God and men commende in me) and go to be puft vp aboue the trees?

American Standard Version
But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

Bible in Basic English
But the olive-tree said to them, Am I to give up my wealth of oil, by which men give honour to God, and go waving over the trees?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the Olyue tree sayd vnto them: Should I leaue my fatnesse wherwith by me they honour God and man, & to be promoted ouer the trees?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But the olive-tree said unto them: Should I leave my fatness, seeing that by me they honour God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

King James Version (1611)
But the Oliue tree saide vnto them, Should I leaue my fatnesse, wherewith by mee they honour God and man, and goe to bee promoted ouer the trees?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the olives said to them, Shall I leave my fatness, with which men shall glorify God, and go to be promoted over the trees?

English Revised Version
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

Berean Standard Bible
But the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whiche answeride, Whether Y may forsake my fatnesse, which bothe Goddis and men vsen, and come, that Y be auaunsid among trees?

Young's Literal Translation
And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

Update Bible Version
But the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, which by me they honor God and men, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

Webster's Bible Translation
But the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

World English Bible
But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?

New King James Version
But the olive tree said to them, "Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?'

New Living Translation
But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?'

New Life Bible
But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my riches of oil by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

New Revised Standard
The olive tree answered them, ‘Shall I stop producing my rich oil by which gods and mortals are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, which, in me, gods and men do honour, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it answered: Can I leave my fatness, which both gods and men make use of, to come to be promoted among the trees?

Revised Standard Version
But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness, by which gods and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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?'

Contextual Overview

⁷When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted: Listen to me, leaders of Shechem. And let God listen to you! The trees set out one day to anoint a king for themselves. They said to Olive Tree, "Rule over us." But Olive Tree told them, "Am I no longer good for making oil That gives glory to gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" ¹⁰The trees then said to Fig Tree, "You come and rule over us." But Fig Tree said to them, "Am I no longer good for making sweets, My mouthwatering sweet fruits, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" ¹²The trees then said to Vine, "You come and rule over us." But Vine said to them, "Am I no longer good for making wine, Wine that cheers gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?" ¹⁴All the trees then said to Tumbleweed, "You come and reign over us." But Tumbleweed said to the trees: "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!" ¹⁶"Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech." ²¹ And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wherewith: Exodus 29:2, Exodus 29:7, Exodus 35:14, Leviticus 2:1, 1 Kings 19:15, 1 Kings 19:16, Psalms 89:20, Psalms 104:15, Acts 4:27, Acts 10:38, 1 John 2:20

God: Elohim, rather gods; the parable being adapted to the idolatrous Shechemites.

to be promoted over the trees: Heb. up and down for other trees, Job 1:7, Job 2:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:20 - pure oil olive beaten Numbers 15:4 - the fourth Proverbs 27:9 - Ointment Zechariah 4:3 - General Romans 11:17 - and with

Cross-References

Genesis 6:18
"But I'm going to establish a covenant with you: You'll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you'll need and store it up for you and them."

Genesis 9:8
Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: "I'm setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth."

Genesis 9:17
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the Earth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the olive tree said unto them,.... In reply to the request of the trees:

should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man; by "fatness" oil is meant, pressed out of the fruit of the olive tree, and which was much made use of both in the burning of the lamps in the tabernacle, and in many sacrifices, as the meat offerings and others, whereby God was honoured; and it was also made use of in the investiture of the greatest personages with the highest offices among men, as kings, priests, and prophets, as well as eaten with pleasure and delight by all sorts of men, and even by the greatest, and so men are honoured by it:

and go to be promoted over the trees; desert so useful a station, in which it was planted and fixed, to move to and fro, as the word signifies, and reign over trees; suggesting that it was unreasonable, at least not eligible to a good man to desert a private station in life, to which he was called of God, and in which he acted with honour and usefulness to others, and take upon him a public office, attended with much care and trouble, and with neglect of private affairs, and with the loss of much personal peace and comfort.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This fable and that noted in the marginal reference are the only two of the kind found in Scripture. Somewhat different are the parables of the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 12:1-4; 2 Samuel 14:5-11; 1 Kings 20:39-40.

Judges 9:9

Honour God and man - Alluding to the constant use of oil in the meat-offerings Leviticus 2:1-16, and in the holy ointment Exodus 30:24-25. In like manner, the allusion in Judges 9:13 is to the drink-offerings of wine. See Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15:10.

Judges 9:14

The bramble - Said to be the Rhamnus Paliurus of Linnaeus, otherwise called Spina-Christi, or Christ’s Thorn, a shrub with sharp thorns. The application is obvious. The noble Gideon and his worthy sons had declined the proffered kingdom. The vile, base-born Abimelech had accepted it, and his act would turn out to the mutual ruin of himself and his subjects.

Judges 9:15

If in truth - i. e. consistently with truth, honor, and uprightness, as explained in the interpretation in Judges 9:16, Judges 9:19.

Let fire come out ... - The propriety of the image is strictly preserved, for even the thorns of the worthless bramble might kindle a flame which would burn the stately cedars to the ground. See Psalms 58:9.

Judges 9:16-20

These verses contain the interpretation of the fable. In them Jotham points out the base ingratitude of the people in raising Abimelech upon the ruin of Gideon’s house, and foretells the retribution which would fall upon both parties.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 9:9. Wherewith - they honour God and man — I believe the word אלהים elohim here should be translated gods, for the parable seems to be accommodated to the idolatrous state of the Shechemites. Thus it was understood by the Vulgate, Arabic, and others. It is true that olive oil was often used in the service of God: the priests were anointed with it; the lamps in the tabernacle lighted with it; almost all the offerings of fine flour, cakes prepared in the pan, c., had oil mingled with them therefore Jotham might say that with it they honour God; and as priests, prophets, and kings were anointed, and their office was the most honourable, he might with propriety say, therewith they honour man. But I am persuaded he used the term in the first sense. See on Judges 9:13.