Verse Judges 9:11. But the fig tree said - Should I forsake my sweetness] The fruit of the fig tree is the sweetest or most luscious of all fruits. A full-ripe fig, in its own climate, has an indescribable sweetness; so much so that it is almost impossible to eat it, till a considerable time after it is gathered from the trees, and has gone through an artificial preparation. This I have often noticed.
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...
FORSAKE. Same Hebrew as "leave" in Judges 9:9 and Judges 9:13....
_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...
_my sweetness_ The early ripe fig, especially, was and is esteemed for its flavour; see Isaiah 28:4; Jeremiah 24:2; Hosea 9:10; Micah 7:1....
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...
_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...
_BUT THE OLIVE TREE SAID UNTO THEM, SHOULD I LEAVE MY FATNESS, WHEREWITH BY ME THEY HONOUR GOD AND MAN, AND GO TO BE PROMOTED OVER THE TREES?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....
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...
וַ תֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַ תְּאֵנָ֔ה הֶ חֳדַ֨לְתִּ
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...
_Sweetness. The fig is the sweetest of fruits, and is regarded as the symbol of sweetness. (Aristop.[Aristophanes?]; Bonfrere)_...
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...
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...
AND THE FIG TREE SAID UNTO THEM,.... Rejecting the offer made: SHOULD I FORSAKE MY SWEETNESS AND MY GOOD FRUIT; for such the fruit of the fig tree is, sweet and good: so Julian d the emperor shows fr...
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Ver. 11. _Should I forsake, &c._] See Judges 9:9 . _ And my good fruit._] _Di...
_The fig-tree said_, &c. Gideon refused this honour, both for himself, and for his sons; and the sons of Gideon, whom Abimelech had slain, upon pretence of their affecting the kingdom, were as far fro...
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...
But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?...
THE PARABLE OF JOTHAM...
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...
MY SWEETNESS; for which that fruit is particularly commended....
Judges 9:11 tree H8384 said H559 (H8799) cease H2308 (H8804) sweetness H4987 good H2896 fruit H8570 go...
“And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.' And the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave to and fro over the trees?' ” The fig...
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...
Luke 13:6; Luke 13:7...