Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
Judges 9:8
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, no special reason being given for this desire; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, no special reason being given for this desire; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.
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 no...
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; 2 Samuel 14:5; 1 Kings 20:...
CHAPTER 9 ABIMELECH THE KING AND HIS WICKEDNESS _ 1. The murder of Gideon's sons (Judges 9:1)_ 2. Jotham's parable (Judges 9:7) 3. Scenes of strife and destruction of Shechem (Judges 9:22) 4. Abim...
JOTHAM'S FABLE. Only in an apologue could Jotham, the sole survivor of Abimelech's massacre, express what was in his bitter, broken heart. The point of his fable is easily caught. His father and his b...
THE TREES. This is pare allegory (App-6). The _interpretation_ is local and historical. The _application_ is dispensational. WENT FORTH. Verb, duplicated by Figure of speech _Polyptoton_ (App-6). Ver...
_Jotham's fable_ The author of the fable had several points in his mind: (_a_) the contrast between Gideon's refusal of the kingship and the arrogant claim of the son of his concubine; the other sons...
_The trees went forth_ Cf. 2 Kings 14:9. Fables of trees that speak and act like human beings spring from the instinct for personification, which is a characteristic of an early stage of civilization;...
DISCOURSE: 271 JOTHAM’S PARABLE Judges 9:7. And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye...
THE TREES WENT FORTH ON A TIME TO ANOINT A KING, &C.— We have here the most ancient example of the use of parables and apologues, to set forth the most serious matters and the most interesting truths....
_Jotham Rebukes the Shechemites Judges 9:7-21_ 7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me...
_THE TREES WENT FORTH ON A TIME TO ANOINT A KING OVER THEM; AND THEY SAID UNTO THE OLIVE TREE, REIGN THOU OVER US._ The trees went forth - literally, 'went on going.'...
THE STORY OF ABIMELECH This chapter breaks the regular order of the book, since Abimelech is not thought of as a judge, and the Canaanites are not here regarded as oppressors. The story, however, thr...
LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 9 V1 Abimelech, Jerubbaal’s son, went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem. He spoke to them and he spoke to all his mother’s *tribe. V2 ‘Ask all the...
THE TREES WENT FORTH. — As in this chapter we have the first Israelite “king” and the first massacre of brethren, so here we have the first fable. Fables are extremely popular in the East, where they...
הָלֹ֤וךְ הָֽלְכוּ֙ הָ עֵצִ֔ים לִ מְשֹׁ֥חַ עֲל
THE BRAMBLE KING Judges 9:7 Men must have leadership. The reason lies deep in human nature. The French Revolutionaries destroyed the royal family, but Robespierre, Danton and Marat were practically e...
The closing statement of the previous chapter constitutes the introduction to this. The words, "As soon as Gideon was dead" and the declaration that then the people returned to evil courses reveal, fi...
Among Gideon's 70 sons was Abimelech who was born to him of a concubine from Shechem. He got the people of that city to pay him 70 shekels of silver and used it to enlist the help of some worthless an...
(e) The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. (e) By this parable he declares that those that are not ambitious, are most wor...
Us. By this parable, Joatham expostulates with the men of Sichem, who had so basely requited the labours of Gedeon, and had given the preference to the son of a servant, who was of the most savage tem...
It was a very favorite way in the Eastern world, to deliver weighty subjects by parable. And hence, in accommodation to this general mode of instruction, our adorable Redeemer chiefly delivered his pr...
My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...
_KING BRAMBLE_ ‘The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.’ Judges 9:8 I. FROM THE ANSWER OF THE OLIVE TREE WE LEARN THAT USEF...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 9, 10, 11, AND 12. After Gideon's death we see the results of this distance from God in the internal struggles which took place between the children of Israel...
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...
The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. Ver. 8. _The trees went forth on a time._] An apologue or parable. The like whereun...
_The trees went forth on a time_ This is the first instance that we have of this manner of speaking by parables. But we find it in great use afterward, and frequently adopted, not by prophets only, bu...
1 Abimelech by conspiracie with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made King. 7 Iotham by a parable rebuketh them and foretelleth their ruine. 22 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites ag...
ABIMELECH'SCONSPIRACY (vv. 1-6). Abimelech did not only forget his father's example, but deliberately chose a contrary path of proud self-pleasing. He wanted to rule over Israel and recognized that...
7-21 There was no occasion for the trees to choose a king, they are all the trees of the Lord which he has planted. Nor was there any occasion for Israel to set a king over them, for the Lord was the...
A parabolical discourse, usual among the ancients, especially in the eastern parts; wherein, under the names of trees, men are represented. TO ANOINT A KING, i.e. to make a king, which was oft done am...
Judges 9:8 trees H6086 forth H1980 (H8804) (H8676) H1980 (H8800) anoint H4886 (H8800) king...
“The trees went forth at one time to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘You reign over us.' But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they h...
Judges 9:8 I. From the answer of the olive tree we learn that usefulness is better than honour. Usefulness, if it be of the higher kind, is attained through long growing and long striving. But when it...
CONTENTS: Conspiracy of Abimelech. CHARACTERS: God, Abimelech, Jerubbaal, Jocham, Gaal, Zebul. CONCLUSION: Evil pursues sinners and sometimes overtakes them when they are apparently triumphant. The...
Judges 9:4. _Baal-berith._ Berith signifies a covenant, which those bad people had made with Baal. The Greeks had their ζευς ορκιος, their Jupiter, or their Baal, to which they made vows. Judges 9:5....
_Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal._ THE ELECTION OF THE USURPER TO BE KING I. Contrasts in the history of God’s own people. After Gideon--Abimelech! II. The best of fathers may have the worst of sons...
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 9:7 Jotham, the only brother of Abimelech to survive his murderous rampage, tells a fable criticizing Abimelech’s actions. In the fable, the noble trees of the forest each reject...
_ABIMELECH MADE KING_ Judges 9:1 CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 9:1. AND ABIMELECH.] Some little time may have elapsed after Gideon’s death, so that the air was again filled with tendencies to idolatry. Be...
EXPOSITION JUDGES 9:7 ON THE TOP OF MOUNT GERIZIM. Mount Gerizim rises on the south-west side of Samaria or Shechem as a sheer rock about 800 feet in height, facing Mount Ebal, which is separated fro...
Now here's what happened. After the death of Gideon, this Abimelech who was the son of his concubine in Shechem. Now you know, they used to say of the sailors "a girl in every port." Well, Gideon had...
2 Kings 14:9; Daniel 4:10; Ezekiel 17:3; Judges 8:22; Judges 8:23...
The trees, &c. — A parabolical discourse, usual among the ancients, especially in the eastern parts. To anoint — To make a king, which was done among the Israelites, and some others, with the ceremony...