Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ New Living Translation And the thornbush replied to the trees, ‘If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’” English Standard Version And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ Berean Standard Bible But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ King James Bible 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. New King James Version And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!’ New American Standard Bible And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out of the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ NASB 1995 “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ NASB 1977 “And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ Legacy Standard Bible And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ Amplified Bible So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ Christian Standard Bible The bramble said to the trees, “If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.” Holman Christian Standard Bible The bramble said to the trees,” If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon."” American Standard Version And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. Contemporary English Version The thornbush replied, "If you really want me to be your king, then come into my shade and I will protect you. But if you're deceiving me, I'll start a fire that will spread out and destroy the cedars of Lebanon." After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said: English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation But the thornbush responded to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me to be your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. But if not, fire will come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.' Good News Translation The thorn bush answered, 'If you really want to make me your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. If you don't, fire will blaze out of my thorny branches and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.' International Standard Version Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, 'If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon…' Majority Standard Bible But the thornbush replied, ?If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.? NET Bible The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!' New Heart English Bible "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.' Webster's Bible Translation And the bramble said to 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. World English Bible “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the bramble says to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; and if not—fire comes out from the bramble, and devours the cedars of Lebanon. Young's Literal Translation And the bramble saith unto the trees, If in truth ye are anointing me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; and if not -- fire cometh out from the bramble, and devoureth the cedars of Lebanon. Smith's Literal Translation And the buckthorn will say to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow: and if not, fire shall come forth from the buckthorn and shall consume the cedars of Lebanon. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd it answered them: If indeed you mean to make me king, come ye and rest under my shadow: but if you mean it not, let fire come out from the bramble, and devour the cedars of Libanus. Catholic Public Domain Version And it responded to them: ‘If truly you would appoint me as king, come and rest under my shadow. But if you are not willing, let fire go forth from the bramble, and let it devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ ” New American Bible The buckthorn answered the trees, ‘If you are anointing me in good faith, to make me king over you, come, and take refuge in my shadow. But if not, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ New Revised Standard Version And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated The bramble said to the trees: ‘If in truth you anoint me that I would reign over you, come be sheltered in my shade, and if not, fire will go out from the brambles and will devour the cedars that are in Lebanon’ OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the bramble said unto the trees: If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. Brenton Septuagint Translation And the bramble said to the trees, If ye in truth anoint me to reign over you, come, stand under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Libanus. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Jotham's Parable…14Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’ 15But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ 16Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves—… 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. ... Ezekiel 17:22-24 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. / I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. / Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’” Matthew 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. / By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ... Luke 6:43-45 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. / The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. John 15:1-6 “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. ... 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. ... 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. ... Jeremiah 12:10-13 Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. / They have made it a desolation; desolate before Me, it mourns. All the land is laid waste, but no man takes it to heart. / Over all the barren heights in the wilderness the destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the earth to the other. No flesh has peace. ... Hosea 10:1-2 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. / Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars. 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. ... 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. ... 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.” ... 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. Galatians 5:19-23 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ... Hebrews 6:7-8 For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God. / But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned. Treasury of Scripture And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you 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. shadow Isaiah 30:2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Daniel 4:12 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. Hosea 14:7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. let fire Judges 9:20,49 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… Numbers 21:28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. Isaiah 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. the cedars 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. Psalm 104:16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Isaiah 2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, Jump to Previous Anoint Anointing Bramble Burning Cedars Consume Desire Devour Devoureth Lebanon Really Refuge Shade Shadow Thorn Thornbush Trees Trust TruthJump to Next Anoint Anointing Bramble Burning Cedars Consume Desire Devour Devoureth Lebanon Really Refuge Shade Shadow Thorn Thornbush Trees Trust TruthJudges 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 thornbush replied The thornbush, or bramble, represents Abimelech in Jotham's parable. In the context of Judges 9, Jotham uses this parable to criticize the people of Shechem for choosing Abimelech as king. The thornbush is a lowly and unworthy plant, symbolizing Abimelech's unworthiness to rule. This reflects the biblical theme of God’s disapproval of leaders who do not follow His ways, as seen in 1 Samuel 8 when Israel demands a king. ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you come and find refuge in my shade But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ Persons / Places / Events 1. Thornbush (Bramble)Represents Abimelech in Jotham's parable, symbolizing a worthless and dangerous leader. 2. Jotham The youngest son of Gideon, who delivers the parable to warn the people of Shechem about Abimelech. 3. Abimelech The son of Gideon who seeks to become king through treachery and violence. 4. Shechem The city where Abimelech is made king, and where Jotham delivers his parable. 5. Cedars of Lebanon Symbolize the noble and powerful leaders of Israel, contrasted with the lowly thornbush. Teaching Points The Danger of Ungodly LeadershipChoosing leaders based on selfish ambition or convenience can lead to destruction and chaos. Discernment in Leadership Believers must seek God's wisdom and discernment when selecting leaders, ensuring they align with biblical principles. Consequences of Rebellion Ignoring God's guidance and pursuing personal agendas can lead to severe consequences, as seen in the parable's warning. Symbolism of the Thornbush The thornbush represents leaders who offer false security and ultimately bring harm, reminding us to evaluate the true character of those we follow. God's Sovereignty in Judgment Despite human choices, God's justice prevails, and He will hold leaders accountable for their actions.(15) If in truth--i.e., with serious purpose. The bramble can hardly believe in the infatuation of the trees. Put your trust in my shadow.--The mean leaves and bristling thorns of the rhamnus could afford no shadow to speak of, and even such as they could afford would be dangerous; but the fable is full of fine and biting irony. If not.--The bramble is not only eager to be king, but has spiteful and dangerous threats--the counterpart of those, doubtless, which had been used by Abimelech--to discourage any withdrawal of the offer. Let fire come out of the bramble.--Some suppose that there is a reference to the ancient notions of the spontaneous ignition of the boughs of the bramble when rubbed together by the wind. The allusion is far more probably to the use of thorns for fuel: Exodus 22:6, "If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn . . . be consumed;" Psalm 58:9, "Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns;" Ecclesiastes 7:6, "the crackling of thorns under a pot." Verse 15. - If in truth, i.e. truly, as the same phrase is rendered in vers. 16, 19, with integrity of purpose and sincerity of heart. The English would be less ambiguous if it ran, "If ye anoint me king over you in truth." The speech of the bramble indicates the grounds for suspicion already existing between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. Let fire come out, etc. - keeping up the propriety of the image, as the natural function of the bramble was to kindle a fire, and as it had no other use; showing, too, how a base bramble could destroy a noble cedar, and the base-born Abimelech could bring ruin upon the lords of Shechem.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew But the thornbushהָאָטָד֮ (hā·’ā·ṭāḏ) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 329: A bramble, buckthorn, also a city in Canaan replied, וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘If אִ֡ם (’im) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you אַתֶּם֩ (’at·tem) Pronoun - second person masculine plural Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you really בֶּאֱמֶ֣ת (be·’ĕ·meṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 571: Stability, certainty, truth, trustworthiness are anointing me מֹשְׁחִ֨ים (mō·šə·ḥîm) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 4886: To rub with oil, to anoint, to consecrate, to paint as king לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ (lə·me·leḵ) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4428: A king over you, עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם (‘ă·lê·ḵem) Preposition | second person masculine plural Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against come בֹּ֖אוּ (bō·’ū) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go and find refuge חֲס֣וּ (ḥă·sū) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 2620: To flee for, protection, to confide in in my shade. בְצִלִּ֑י (ḇə·ṣil·lî) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 6738: A shadow But if וְאִם־ (wə·’im-) Conjunctive waw | Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not not, אַ֕יִן (’a·yin) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle may fire אֵשׁ֙ (’êš) Noun - common singular Strong's 784: A fire come out תֵּ֤צֵא (tê·ṣê) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim of מִן־ (min-) Preposition Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of the thornbush הָ֣אָטָ֔ד (hā·’ā·ṭāḏ) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 329: A bramble, buckthorn, also a city in Canaan and consume וְתֹאכַ֖ל (wə·ṯō·ḵal) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 398: To eat the cedars אַרְזֵ֥י (’ar·zê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 730: A cedar tree of Lebanon.” הַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ (hal·lə·ḇā·nō·wn) Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3844: Lebanon -- a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel Links Judges 9:15 NIVJudges 9:15 NLT Judges 9:15 ESV Judges 9:15 NASB Judges 9:15 KJV Judges 9:15 BibleApps.com Judges 9:15 Biblia Paralela Judges 9:15 Chinese Bible Judges 9:15 French Bible Judges 9:15 Catholic Bible OT History: Judges 9:15 The bramble said to the trees If (Jd Judg. 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