Judges 9:16

Now therefore. — Here follows the epimuthion. or application of the fable. Judges 9:16 are the protasis of the sentence, which is a long and parenthetic series of premisses; the conclusion, or apodosis, follows in Judges 9:19.

If ye have done truly and sincerely. — A bitterly ironical supposition with a side glance at the phrase used by the bramble (see Judges 9:15).