Judges 9:8

Updated Bible Version

One time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign over us.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The trees decidedto anoint a king over themselves.They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”

Hebrew Names Version
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us.

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

Lexham English Bible
"The trees went certainly, to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Rule over us.'

English Standard Version
The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.'

New Century Version
One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, ‘You be king over us!'

New English Translation
"The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!'

Amplified Bible
"Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

New American Standard Bible
"Once the trees went to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

Geneva Bible (1587)
The trees went foorth to anoynt a King ouer them, and sayde vnto the oliue tree, Reigne thou ouer vs.

Legacy Standard Bible
Eendag het die bome gegaan om 'n koning oor hulle te salf en aan die olyfboom gesê: Wees koning oor ons!

Contemporary English Version
Once the trees searched for someone to be king; they asked the olive tree, "Will you be our king?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Once the trees went out to choose a king to rule them. They said to the olive tree, ‘Rule over us!'

Darby Translation
The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign over us.

Easy-to-Read Version
"One day the trees decided to choose a king to rule over them. The trees said to the olive tree, ‘You be king over us.'

George Lamsa Translation
Once upon a time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

Good News Translation
Once upon a time the trees went out to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.'

Literal Translation
Going the trees went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive, Reign over us.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The trees wente to anointe a kinde ouer them, and sayde vnto the Olyue tre: Be thou oure kynge.

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

Bible in Basic English
One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The trees went foorth to annoynt a kyng ouer them, and sayde vnto the Olyue tree: Raigne thou ouer vs.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree: Reign thou over us.

King James Version (1611)
The trees went foorth on a time to annoint a King ouer them, and they said vnto the Oliue tree, Reigne thou ouer vs.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive, Reign over us.

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

Berean Standard Bible
One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Trees yeden to anoynte a kyng on hem; and tho seiden to the olyue tre, Comaunde thou to vs.

Young's Literal Translation
`The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us.

Webster's Bible Translation
The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.

World English Bible
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us.

New King James Version
"The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, "Reign over us!'

New Living Translation
Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!'

New Life Bible
One time the trees went out to choose a king to rule them. They said to the olive tree, ‘Rule over us!'

New Revised Standard
The trees once went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The trees, went their way, to anoint over them, a king, - and they said unto the olive tree - Reign thou over us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The trees went to anoint a king over them: and they said to the olive tree: Reign thou over us.

Revised Standard Version
The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

Contextual Overview

⁷ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. ⁸ One time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign over us. ⁹ But the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, which by me they honor God and men, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig-tree, You come, and reign over us. ¹¹ But the fig-tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ¹² And the trees said to the vine, You come, and reign over us. ¹³ And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave to and fro over the 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 king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. ¹⁶ Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and uprightly, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The trees: This is the most ancient fable or apologue extant; and is extremely beautiful, apposite, and intelligible. 2 Kings 14:9, Ezekiel 17:3-10, Daniel 4:10-18

olive tree: The zayith, or olive tree, in the Linnean system, is a genus of the diandra monogynia class of plants. It is of a moderate height, and grows best in sunny places. Its trunk is knotty; bark smooth, of an ash colour: wood solid and yellowish; leaves oblong, almost like those of the willow, of a dark green colour on the upper side, and whitish below. In June it puts forth white flowers, growing in bunches, each of one piece, widening towards the top, and dividing into four parts. After this succeeds the fruit, which is oblong and plump; first green, then pale, and when quite ripe, black. Within it is enclosed a hard stone, filled with oblong seeds. It was the most useful of all trees in the forest; as the bramble was the meanest and most worthless.

Reign: Judges 8:22, Judges 8:23

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 14:5 - I am indeed 2 Chronicles 25:18 - thistle Ezekiel 17:2 - General Ezekiel 31:9 - all the trees Matthew 13:3 - in Romans 11:17 - and with 1 Corinthians 12:15 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them,.... This is an apologue or fable, and a very fine and beautiful one; it is fitly expressed to answer the design, and the most ancient of the kind, being made seven hundred years before the times of Aesop, so famous for his fables, and exceeds anything written by him. By the trees are meant the people of Israel in general, and the Shechemites in particular, who had been for some time very desirous of a king, but could not persuade any of their great and good men to accept of that office:

and they said unto the olive tree, reign thou over us; a fit emblem of a good man, endowed with excellent virtues and qualifications for good, as David king of Israel, who is compared to such a tree, Psalms 52:8, Jarchi applies this to Othniel the first judge; but it may be better applied to Gideon, an excellent good man, full of fruits of righteousness, and eminently useful, and to whom kingly government was offered, and was refused by him; and the men of Shechem could scarcely fail of thinking of him, and applying it to him, as Jotham was delivering his fable.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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, 2 Samuel 12:1-4; 2 Samuel 14:5-11; 1 Kings 20:39-40.

Judges 9:9

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

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 9:8. The trees went forth on a time] This is the oldest, and without exception the best fable or apologue in the world. See the observations at the end of this chapter.

It is not to be supposed that a fable, if well formed, requires much illustration; every part of this, a few expressions excepted, illustrates itself, and tells its own meaning.

To anoint a king — Hence it appears that anointing was usual in the installation of kings, long before there was any king in Israel; for there is much evidence that the book of Judges was written before the days of Saul and David.

The olive tree — The olive was the most useful of all the trees in the field or forest, as the bramble was the meanest and the most worthless.