BibleTools
Judges 9:7
Compare all
5 Then he went to his father’s house aat Ophrah and bkilled his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.  
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.

The Parable of the Trees

7 Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of aMount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them:
“Listen to me, you men of Shechem,
That God may listen to you! 
8 “Thea trees once went forth to anoint a king over them.
And they said to the olive tree,
b‘Reign over us!’ 
9 But the olive tree said to them,
‘Should I cease giving my oil,
aWith which they honor God and men,
And go to sway over trees?’ 
10 “Then the trees said to the fig tree,
‘You come and reign over us!’
11 But the fig tree said to them,
‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit,
And go to sway over trees?’
12 “Then the trees said to the vine,
‘You come and reign over us!’
13 But the vine said to them,
‘Should I cease my new wine,
aWhich cheers both God and men,
And go to sway over trees?’ 
14 “Then all the trees said to the bramble,
‘You come and reign over us!’
15 And the bramble said to the trees,
‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you,
Then come and take shelter in my ashade;
But if not, blet fire come out of the bramble
And devour the ccedars of Lebanon!’  
16 “Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him aas he deserves—  
17 for my afather fought for you, risked his life, and bdelivered you out of the hand of Midian;  
18 abut you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his bfemale servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—  
19 if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then arejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.  
20 “But if not, alet fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”  
21 And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to aBeer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.  

Downfall of Abimelech

22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< Judges 9:6   Judges 9:8 >>


Judges 9:7

Stood in the top of Mount Gerizim - Gerizim and Ebal were mounts very near to each other; the former lying to the north, the latter to the south, and at the foot of them Shechem. But see some remarks on the extent of the human voice in some hilly countries in the following extract from a late traveler in the East: -

\ri720 "The great extent to which the sound of the voice is conveyed may be mentioned. Some persons have thought this a proof of the extreme rarity of the atmosphere. A similar observation is made by Captain Parry in his Voyage of Discovery to the Polar Regions in 1819-20, where he states that in the depth of winter the sound of the men' s voices was heard at a much greater distance than usual. This phenomenon is constantly observed on the Neilgherries. I have heard the natives, especially in the morning and evening, when the air was still, carry on conversation from one hill to another, and that apparently without any extraordinary effort. They do not shout in the manner that strangers think necessary in order to be heard at so great a distance, but utter every syllable as distinctly as if they were conversing face to face. When listening to them, I have often been reminded of those passages in holy writ where it is recorded that Jotham addressed the ungrateful men of Shechem from Mount Gerizim, that David cried ' from the top of a hill afar off' to Abner and to the people that lay about their master Saul, and that Abner addressed Joab from the top of a hill." - Letters on the Climate, Inhabitants, Productions, etc., etc., of the Neilgherries, or Blue Mountains of Coimbatoor, South India, by James Hough, of Madras: 1829.

That God may hearken unto you - It appears that Jotham received this message from God, and that he spoke on this occasion by Divine inspiration.


 
<< Judges 9:6   Judges 9:8 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.

Join 137,263+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

Close
E-mail This Page