Judges 9:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved—

NIV: Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves?

NASB: Now then, if you have acted with honesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—

CSB: "Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did--

NLT: Jotham continued, 'Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished?

KJV: Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

NKJV: “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 as he deserves—

Jotham stands on top of a mountain overlooking the city of Shechem. Below, Jotham's only living brother, Abimelech, is being crowned king. Abimelech brutally murdered the rest of their seventy brothers, sons of Gideon, to become the undisputed king of Shechem (Judges 9:1–6). He would have murdered Jotham, as well, if he had not hidden during the slaughter.

From his perch, Jotham has told a fable about trees looking for a king (Judges 9:6–15). Valuable examples like the olive, fig, and grape refused to become king. They were content with productive and honorable lives. The bramble, however, was willing to take power over others since it had no other value. However, the bramble becomes king of the trees with a promise: to burn them if they have not acted with honesty and sincerity towards him.

Jotham now tells the people of Shechem their choice of Abimelech will turn out well if two things are true. Have they acted in good faith and integrity in making Abimelech their king? And have they honored Gideon—called by his alternate name, Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32)—and his family as his honorable deeds deserved? The implication is that Abimelech is like the bramble: an unsuitable, worthless choice liable to only bring disaster.

As he continues, Jotham clarifies that neither of these things are true. The people of Shechem paid for the slaughter of Gideon's sons, giving money to hire the goons that went with Abimelech. They've chosen Abimelech only because he is not one of Gideon's other sons. Jotham's prophecy will continue to predict that not all will be well.

Judges 9:6–21 contains a parable and prophecy spoken by the sole surviving son of Gideon. Jotham was the only one missed in a massacre orchestrated by his half-brother, Abimelech (Judges 9:1–6). During the coronation ceremony making Abimelech a local ruler, Jotham shouts out a curse against Abimelech and Shechem's leaders. This takes the form of a fable about trees making a bramble bush their king. The prediction intended by Jotham's declaration is that Shechem's leaders did not act in integrity, so they and Abimelech will destroy each other. Jotham then flees the area.

Shechem's leaders conspire with a concubine's son to kill Gideon's other seventy sons. They make this man, Abimelech, their ruler. Gideon's youngest son survives, however, and delivers a curse. Using a fable, he says Abimelech and Shechem's leaders will destroy each other. God causes a division between Shechem's leaders and Abimelech. The noblemen attempt to kill Abimelech and unite behind a new leader. Abimelech discovers the plot and kills everyone in Shechem, destroying the city. When attacking a tower in a nearby town, however, Abimelech's skull is crushed by a thrown millstone. The curse is fulfilled.

Gideon successfully defeated Midianite raiders but declined to become Israel's official king. His sons, however, were held in high esteem during his remaining years (Judges 8). After Gideon's death, ambitious men conspire to kill almost all those heirs. This results in a series of bloody events. Eventually, judgment comes on those responsible. Israel fails to learn from the tragedies. Chapter 10 explains further idolatry and sin, before introducing the next major judge, Jephthah, in chapter 11.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).