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Judges 9:14
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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:
Barnes' Notes
<< Judges 9:13   Judges 9:15 >>


Judges 9:8-20

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, II Samuel 12:1-4; II Samuel 14:5-11; I Kings 20:39-40.

Judges 9:9

Honour God and man - Alluding to the constant use of oil in the meat-offerings Lev. 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.




Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Judges 9:14:

Judges 9:8-20

 

<< Judges 9:13   Judges 9:15 >>

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