Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 VersionAnd 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 BibleAnd 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 BibleBut 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 1917But 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… Jump to Previous Ceased Hold Increase Leave Promoted Stagger Sway Sweet Sweetness Taste Tree Trees Wave WavingJump to Next Ceased Hold Increase Leave Promoted Stagger Sway Sweet Sweetness Taste Tree Trees Wave WavingJudges 9 1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king7. 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 In the parable of the trees, the fig tree represents those who are content with their God-given roles and responsibilities. The fig tree's response highlights the importance of recognizing one's purpose and the value of fulfilling it. In biblical symbolism, the fig tree often represents Israel (Hosea 9:10) and can also symbolize prosperity and peace (1 Kings 4:25). ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit to hold sway over the trees?’ Persons / Places / Events 1. Fig TreeIn this parable, the fig tree represents a character who is content with its role and purpose, providing sweetness and good fruit, and does not desire to rule over others. 2. Jotham The speaker of the parable, Jotham is the youngest son of Gideon (Jerubbaal) who uses this account to warn the people of Shechem about the dangers of choosing Abimelech as their king. 3. Abimelech The son of Gideon and a concubine from Shechem, Abimelech seeks to become king and is the central figure against whom Jotham's parable is directed. 4. Shechem A city in ancient Israel where the events of Judges 9 unfold, including Abimelech's rise to power and Jotham's parable. 5. Parable of the Trees A account told by Jotham to illustrate the folly of choosing a leader who is not fit to rule, using various trees to symbolize different types of leaders. Teaching Points Contentment in PurposeThe fig tree's response highlights the importance of being content with the role and purpose God has given us, rather than seeking power or status. Value of Fruitfulness The fig tree's emphasis on its sweetness and good fruit reminds us of the importance of bearing spiritual fruit in our lives, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. Wisdom in Leadership Jotham's parable warns against choosing leaders based on ambition rather than character and ability, a principle that applies to both spiritual and secular leadership. God's Provision The fig tree symbolizes God's provision and the blessings He bestows upon us, encouraging us to trust in His sustenance rather than seeking worldly power. Discernment in Choices The parable encourages discernment in the choices we make, particularly in whom we choose to follow or support as leaders. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew But the fig treeהַתְּאֵנָ֔ה (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 Links Judges 9:11 NIVJudges 9:11 NLT Judges 9:11 ESV Judges 9:11 NASB Judges 9:11 KJV Judges 9:11 BibleApps.com Judges 9:11 Biblia Paralela Judges 9:11 Chinese Bible Judges 9:11 French Bible Judges 9:11 Catholic Bible OT History: Judges 9:11 But the fig tree said to them (Jd Judg. Jdg) |
    |