Judges 9:8
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 in other translations
| BSB | One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ |
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| WEB | The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ |
| ASV | The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. |
| YLT | ‘The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us. |
| DARBY | The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign over us. |
| BBE | One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us. |
| Webster | The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. |
What does Judges 9:8 mean?
Adam Clarke's Commentary
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…
Judges 9:8 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.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Judges 9:8
- Daniel 4:10-18
Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; …
- Judges 8:22-23
Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
- 2 Kings 14:9
And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
- Ezekiel 17:3-10
And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. …
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 14:9; Eze 17:3-10; Da 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.
8:22,23
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- 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 men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
- Judges 9:8
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 9:9
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?
Judges 9:8 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Fueron los árboles á elegir rey sobre sí, y dijeron á la oliva: Reina sobre nosotros. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Les arbres allèrent pour oindre un roi sur eux; et ils dirent à l’olivier: Règne sur nous. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Einst gingen die Bäume hin, einen König über sich zu salben; und sie sprachen zum Olivenbaum: Sei König über uns! |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Ierunt ligna, ut ungerent super se regem: dixeruntque olivæ: Impera nobis. |