Judges 9:11
New International Version
“But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

New Living Translation
But the fig tree also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’

English Standard Version
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’

Berean Standard Bible
But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’

King James Bible
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

New King James Version
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’

New American Standard Bible
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

NASB 1995
“But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

NASB 1977
“But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

Legacy Standard Bible
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good produce and go to wave over the trees?’

Amplified Bible
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

Christian Standard Bible
But the fig tree said to them, “Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, and rule over trees? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the fig tree said to them,” Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, and rule over trees?”

American Standard Version
But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

Contemporary English Version
But the fig tree replied, "I won't stop growing my delicious fruit, just so my branches can wave above the other trees."

English Revised Version
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the fig tree responded, 'Should I stop producing my good, sweet fruit in order to rule the trees?'

Good News Translation
But the fig tree answered, 'In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good sweet fruit.'

International Standard Version
But the fig tree asked them, 'Should I leave my sweet, good fruit and go take dominion over trees?'

Majority Standard Bible
But the fig tree replied, ?Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees??

NET Bible
But the fig tree said to them, 'I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!'

New Heart English Bible
"But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?'

Webster's Bible Translation
But the fig-tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

World English Bible
“But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the fig says to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

Young's Literal Translation
And the fig saith to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

Smith's Literal Translation
And the fig tree will say to them, Left I my sweetness, and my good produce, and went I to wander about over the trees?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it answered them: Can I leave my sweetness, and my delicious fruits, and go to be promoted among the other trees?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And it responded to them, ‘How could I abandon my sweetness, and my very sweet fruits, and depart to be promoted among the other trees?’

New American Bible
But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my sweet fruit, and go off to hold sway over the trees?’

New Revised Standard Version
But the fig tree answered them, ‘Shall I stop producing my sweetness and my delicious fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But the fig tree said to them, I am not going to leave my sweetness and my good fruit, to be abominated for reigning over the trees.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The fig tree said to them: ‘I will not leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and shall I go to be an abomination for the trees?’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But the fig-tree said unto them: Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruitage, and go to hold sway over the trees?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But the fig-tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness an my good fruits, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jotham's Parable
10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’ 11But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’ 12Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and reign over us.’…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...

Psalm 80:8-16
You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it. / You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. / The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. ...

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

Matthew 21:33-41
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. / But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ...

Ezekiel 15:1-8
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest? / Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils? ...

Hosea 10:1
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

Romans 11:17-24
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, / do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. / You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ...

Jeremiah 2:21
I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?

Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ...

Deuteronomy 32:32-33
But their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter. / Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.

Isaiah 27:2-6
In that day: “Sing about a fruitful vineyard. / I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it continually. I guard it night and day so no one can disturb it; / I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground. ...

Mark 12:1-9
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. / But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ...

Genesis 49:11-12
He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. / His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

1 Kings 4:25
Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

Micah 4:4
And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.


Treasury of Scripture

But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Luke 13:6,7
He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none…

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Ceased Hold Increase Leave Promoted Stagger Sway Sweet Sweetness Taste Tree Trees Wave Waving
Judges 9
1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7. Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22. Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30. Zebul reveals it
34. Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46. He burns the hold of the god Berith
50. At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56. Jotham's curse is fulfilled.














But the fig tree replied
The fig tree, in ancient Israel, was a symbol of prosperity and peace. Its mention here is significant, as it represents a voice of reason and contentment. The Hebrew word for fig tree, "תְּאֵנָה" (te'enah), is often associated with abundance and blessing. In the context of Judges 9, the fig tree's response is a metaphorical expression of wisdom, choosing to remain in its God-given role rather than seeking power or authority over others. This reflects a biblical principle of contentment and fulfilling one's purpose without succumbing to the temptations of ambition or pride.

Should I stop giving my sweetness
The phrase "giving my sweetness" refers to the natural and beneficial role of the fig tree. In Hebrew culture, sweetness is often associated with goodness and favor. The fig tree's rhetorical question highlights the importance of remaining true to one's calling and the inherent value in fulfilling one's God-given purpose. The sweetness of the fig tree can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual fruitfulness that believers are called to exhibit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23, where the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, and peace.

and my good fruit
The "good fruit" symbolizes the positive outcomes and contributions that result from living in accordance with God's will. In the Hebrew text, the word for "good" is "טוֹב" (tov), which conveys a sense of moral goodness and excellence. The fig tree's emphasis on its good fruit serves as a reminder of the biblical principle that true success and fulfillment come from producing fruit that aligns with God's purposes. This aligns with Jesus' teaching in John 15:5, where He states that those who abide in Him will bear much fruit.

to hold sway over the trees?
The phrase "to hold sway over the trees" suggests a position of authority or leadership. The fig tree's rhetorical question implies a rejection of the pursuit of power for its own sake. In the context of Judges 9, this is a critique of Abimelech's ambition to rule over the people of Shechem. The Hebrew word for "hold sway" is "נָעוּעַ" (na'ua), which can also mean to tremble or totter, suggesting the instability and potential downfall that can accompany the pursuit of power. This serves as a cautionary message about the dangers of seeking authority without divine calling or purpose.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But the fig tree
הַתְּאֵנָ֔ה (hat·tə·’ê·nāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8384: Of foreign derivation, the fig

replied,
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Should I stop giving
הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙ (he·ḥo·ḏal·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle

my sweetness
מָתְקִ֔י (mā·ṯə·qî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4987: Sweetness

and my good
הַטּוֹבָ֑ה (haṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

fruit,
תְּנוּבָתִ֖י (tə·nū·ḇā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8570: Fruit, produce

to hold
וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י (wə·hā·laḵ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

sway
לָנ֖וּעַ (lā·nū·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5128: To quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the trees?’
הָעֵצִֽים׃ (hā·‘ê·ṣîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood


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OT History: Judges 9:11 But the fig tree said to them (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 9:10
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