Judges 9:10
ESV
And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’
NIV
"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
NASB
Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You, come, reign over us!’
CSB
Then the trees said to the fig tree, "Come and reign over us."
NLT
'Then they said to the fig tree, ‘You be our king!’
KJV
And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
NKJV
“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’
What does Judges 9:10 mean?
This verse comes early in a fable, delivered by Jotham, son of Gideon (Judges 9:1–9). He is shouting these words to the leaders of Shechem as they crown his murderous brother, Abimelech, as their king. The greater point of the story is not yet clear—though the reference to choosing a king means it will certainly relate to Shechem's choice of Abimelech. When the moral of the story finally appears, all who hear it will be troubled (Judges 9:19–20).As told in the parable so far, the trees attempted to recruit a king. The olive tree refused, preferring a productive, honorable life to ruling over other trees. Now, other trees come to the fig tree and make the same offer: be our ruler. Fig trees were also prized for their fruit, used for a variety of different purposes. As did the olive tree, the fig will decline (Judges 9:11).
