Judges 9 · Verse 20

Judges 9:20

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
Judges 9:20, King James Version

Judges 9:20 in other translations

BSBBut if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”
WEBbut if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech.”
ASVbut if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
YLTand if not--fire cometh out from Abimelech and devoureth the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and fire cometh out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devoureth Abimelech.'
DARBYbut if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
BBEBut if not, may fire come out from Abimelech, burning up the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo, for the destruction of Abimelech.
WebsterBut if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

What does Judges 9:20 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Let fire come out from Abimelech - As the thorn or bramble may be the means of kindling other wood, because it may be easily ignited; so shall Abimelech be the cause of kindling a fire of civil discord among you, that shall consume the rulers and great men of your country. A prophetic declaration of what would take place.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 9:7-21

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 their King. Those who bear fruit for the public good, are justly respected and honoured by all that are wise, more than those who merely make a figure. All these fruit-trees gave much the same reason for their refusal to be…

Read the full comment on Judges 9:7-21 →

Judges 9:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאִם\־ve.'im-and ifH518
אַ֕יִן'A.yinnotH369
תֵּ֤צֵאTe.tze'let it go outH3318
אֵשׁ֙'esha fireH784
מֵאֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְme.'a.vi.Me.lekhfrom AbimelechH40
וְתֹאכַ֛לve.to.Khaland let it consumeH398
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בַּעֲלֵ֥יba.'a.Lei[the] citizens ofH1167
שְׁכֶ֖םshe.KhemShechemH7927
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בֵּ֣יתbeitBethH1037
מִלּ֑וֹאmi.Lo'MilloH1037
וְתֵצֵ֨אve.te.Tze'and let it go outH3318
אֵ֜שׁ'esha fireH784
מִבַּעֲלֵ֤יmi.ba.'a.Leifrom [the] citizens ofH1167
שְׁכֶם֙she.KhemShechemH7927
וּמִבֵּ֣יתu.mi.Beitand from BethH1037
מִלּ֔וֹאmi.Lo'MilloH1037
וְתֹאכַ֖לve.to.Khaland let it consumeH398
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ\׃'a.vi.Me.lekhAbimelechH40

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 9:20

  • Judges 9:15

    And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

  • Judges 9:56-57

    Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

  • Psalms 140:10

    Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:22-23

    And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

  • Psalms 28:4

    Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

  • Judges 9:23

    Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

  • Psalms 52:1-5

    To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. …

  • Judges 7:22

    And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel–meholah, unto Tabbath.

  • Psalms 120:3-4

    What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

  • Psalms 21:9-10

    Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
let fire come out.
15,23,56,57; 7:22; 2Ch 20:22,23; Ps 21:9,10; 28:4; 52:1-5
Ps 120:3,4; 140:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 9:19

    If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

  • Judges 9:20

    But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

  • Judges 9:21

    And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Read all of Judges 9

Judges 9:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y si no, fuego salga de Abimelech, que consuma á los de Sichêm y á la casa de Millo; y fuego salga de los de Sichêm y de la casa de Millo, que consuma á Abimelech.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		sinon, qu’un feu sorte d’Abimélec, et qu’il dévore les hommes de Sichem et la maison de Millo; et qu’un feu sorte des hommes de Sichem et de la maison de Millo, et qu’il dévore Abimélec!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn aber nicht, so gehe Feuer von Abimelech aus und verzehre die Bürger von Sichem und das Haus Millo; und es gehe ein Feuer aus von den Bürgern von Sichem und von dem Hause Millo und verzehre Abimelech!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sin autem perverse: egrediatur ignis ex eo, et consumat habitatores Sichem, et oppidum Mello: egrediaturque ignis de viris Sichem, et de oppido Mello, et devoret Abimelech.