Judges 9:1-13

Context

Abimelech Murders His Brothers

9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives.¹ He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family,² 9:2 “Tell³ all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want⁴ to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’”⁵ 9:3 His mother’s relatives⁶ spoke on his behalf to⁷ all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal.⁸ The leaders were drawn to Abimelech;⁹ they said, “He is our close relative.”¹⁰ 9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous¹¹ men as his followers.¹² 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers,¹³ the seventy legitimate¹⁴ sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped,¹⁵ because he hid. 9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar¹⁶ in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news,¹⁷ he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below,¹⁸ “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

9:8 “The trees were determined to go out¹⁹ and choose a king for themselves.²⁰ They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’²¹ 9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’²²

9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’²³ 9:11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’²⁴

9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’²⁵ 9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’²⁶

[9:1] ¹tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:1] ²tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”

[9:2] ³tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

[9:2] ⁴tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

[9:2] ⁵tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

[9:3] ⁶tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:3] ⁷tn Heb “into the ears of.”

[9:3] ⁸tn Heb “and all these words.”

[9:3] ⁹tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”

[9:3] ¹⁰tn Heb “our brother.”

[9:4] ¹¹tn Heb “empty and reckless.”

[9:4] ¹²tn Heb “and they followed him.”

[9:5] ¹³tn Heb “his brothers.”

[9:5] ¹⁴tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5] ¹⁵tn Heb “remained.”

[9:6] ¹⁶tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).

[9:7] ¹⁷tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

[9:7] ¹⁸tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

[9:8] ¹⁹tn Heb “Going they went, the trees.” The precise emphatic force of the infinitive absolute (“Going”) is not entirely clear. Perhaps here it indicates determination, as in Gen 31:30, where one might translate, “You have insisted on going away.”

[9:8] ²⁰tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”

[9:8] ²¹tn Or “Rule over us!”

[9:9] ²²tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:10] ²³tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:11] ²⁴tn Heb “Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit and go to sway over the trees? The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:12] ²⁵tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:13] ²⁶tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.