One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' One day the trees set out to anoint a king over themselvesThis phrase introduces the parable of the trees, a account told by Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, to the people of Shechem. The use of "trees" in this context is metaphorical, representing the leaders or people of Israel. The act of setting out to "anoint a king" reflects the human desire for leadership and governance, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The Hebrew root for "anoint" is "mashach," which is also the root for "Messiah," indicating a consecration or setting apart for a divine purpose. Historically, anointing was a significant ritual in Israel, symbolizing God's choice and blessing upon a leader. This phrase sets the stage for a critique of the people's desire for a king, which often led them away from reliance on God. They said to the olive tree
The "olive tree" is a symbol of prosperity, peace, and blessing in the Bible. Olive oil was used for anointing, lighting lamps, and as a staple in the diet, making the olive tree a fitting representation of abundance and divine favor. In the context of this parable, the olive tree represents a leader of great value and significance. The choice of the olive tree as the first candidate for kingship underscores the people's desire for a leader who embodies these qualities. The Hebrew word for "olive" is "zayit," which is deeply rooted in the culture and economy of ancient Israel, further emphasizing the importance of the qualities the olive tree represents. ‘Reign over us.’
This plea to the olive tree to "reign over us" highlights the people's desire for a ruler to provide guidance and protection. The Hebrew word for "reign" is "malak," which implies not just ruling but also serving as a shepherd to the people. This request reflects a longing for stability and order, a recurring theme in Israel's history as they often struggled with leadership and governance. The plea also serves as a critique of the people's tendency to seek human solutions rather than relying on God's sovereignty. In the broader biblical narrative, this desire for a human king foreshadows Israel's eventual demand for a monarchy, which leads to both triumphs and tribulations. Persons / Places / Events 1. The TreesSymbolic representation of the people of Shechem seeking a leader or king. In the parable, they represent the various factions or groups within Israel. 2. The Olive TreeRepresents a potential leader or king. The olive tree is significant in Israelite culture, symbolizing peace, prosperity, and blessing. 3. JothamThe speaker of the parable, the youngest son of Gideon (Jerubbaal), who survived the massacre of his brothers by Abimelech. 4. AbimelechThough not directly mentioned in this verse, he is the context of the parable. He is the son of Gideon who seeks to become king through treachery and violence. 5. ShechemThe location where the events unfold, a city with historical significance in Israel's history, often associated with covenant and leadership. Teaching Points The Dangers of AmbitionThe parable warns against the pursuit of power for selfish reasons. True leadership should be rooted in service and humility, not ambition and self-promotion. Symbolism of the Olive TreeThe olive tree's refusal to reign highlights the value of fulfilling one's God-given purpose rather than seeking positions of power. Believers are called to bear fruit in their unique roles. God's Sovereignty in LeadershipThe account reminds us that God is the ultimate authority. Human attempts to establish leadership apart from His will can lead to chaos and destruction. The Role of ParablesJotham's use of a parable to convey truth demonstrates the power of accounttelling in teaching moral and spiritual lessons. Believers can use creative means to communicate God's truth. Community and LeadershipThe trees' quest for a king reflects the community's role in choosing leaders. Believers should seek leaders who align with God's principles and values. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the parable of the trees in Judges 9:8 reflect the broader theme of leadership in the Bible, and what can we learn from it about choosing leaders today? 2. In what ways does the olive tree's response to the trees' request challenge our understanding of success and purpose in life? 3. How does the account of Abimelech and the parable of the trees illustrate the consequences of rejecting God's authority in favor of human leadership? 4. What parallels can you draw between the parable in Judges 9:8 and Jesus' teachings on leadership and servanthood in the New Testament? 5. How can we apply the lessons from this parable to our personal lives, particularly in areas where we may be tempted to seek power or recognition? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 8The Israelites demand a king, paralleling the trees seeking a ruler. This reflects the human desire for leadership and the potential pitfalls of rejecting God's direct rule. Psalm 52:8The olive tree is used as a metaphor for a righteous person, flourishing in the house of God, contrasting with the self-serving ambition seen in Abimelech. John 15:1-8Jesus speaks of Himself as the true vine, emphasizing the importance of abiding in Him rather than seeking worldly power or status. | Abimelech, the Adventurer | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Ambition Destroys the Finer Feelings of Men | H. E. Channing. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Bramble Rule; Or, the People and Their Leaders | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Forms of Usefulness in Life | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Parable | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | King Bramble and His Subjects | A. F. Vedder. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Misleading Self-Judgments | A. Rowland, B. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Pulpit Brambles | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Self-Fulfilment | E. G. Murphy. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Bramble | H. Whittaker. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Election of the Usurper to be King | J. P. Millar. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Faithful Olive-Tree | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of Jotham | A London Minister | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | J. Bayley, Ph. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Refusing of Leadership | W. Morison, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Fable; Or, Popular Election, its Dangers and Abuses | A.F. Muir | Judges 9:7-20 | | Jotham's Parable | W.F. Adeney | Judges 9:8-15 |
People Abimelech, Ebed, Gaal, Hamor, Jerubbaal, Jotham, Ophrah, Zalmon, ZebulPlaces Arumah, Beer, Beth-millo, Diviners' Oak, Lebanon, Midian, Mount Gerizim, Mount Zalmon, Ophrah, Shechem, Thebez, Tower of ShechemTopics Anoint, Diligently, Forth, Olive, Olive-tree, Reign, Themselves, Tree, TreesDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 9:1-21 5356 irony Judges 9:7-15 2230 Messiah, coming of
5935 riddles Judges 9:7-20 5438 parables Judges 9:8-9 4492 olive
4528 trees Library Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. Scripture relates that God sometimes complied with certain prayers which had been dictated by minds not duly calmed or regulated. It is true, that the cause for which Jotham imprecated on the inhabitants of Shechem the disaster which afterwards befell them was well founded; but still he was inflamed with anger and revenge (Judges 9:20); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervour …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of FaithTrials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Hence is Also that which Thou Hast Mentioned that they Speak Of...
28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples; and upon their drawing near to the village whither they were going, He made as though He would have gone farther: where the Evangelist, saying, "But He Himself feigned that He would go further," [2435] hath put that very word in which liars too greatly delight, that they may with impunity lie: as if every thing that is feigned is a lie, whereas in a truthful …
St. Augustine—Against Lying The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God, …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 9:8 NIVJudges 9:8 NLTJudges 9:8 ESVJudges 9:8 NASBJudges 9:8 KJV
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