Judges 9:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

NIV: One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'

NASB: Once the trees went to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’

CSB: The trees decided to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, "Reign over us."

NLT: Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’

KJV: The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

NKJV: “The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’

Jotham, the only survivor of a massacre perpetrated by his brother, Abimelech (Judges 9:1–5), is shouting out a poetic story of trees choosing a king. This is accurately described as a fable: a common form of parable or storytelling. These short tales involve creatures from nature, speaking and acting as persons, to deliver a specific moral lesson. This story will also deliver a dire prophecy (Judges 9:20, 57).

Jotham has begun by warning the city's leaders to listen to him if they want God to ever listen to them (Judges 9:7). The rest of his speech takes the form of a fable and its prophetic explanation. In Jotham's fable, the trees wanted a king, so they approached the olive tree and asked it to reign over them. The tree will decline, for its own reasons (Judges 9:9).

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).

Accessed 5/7/2024 4:50:35 PM