Judges 9:14
12 Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and reign over us.’
13 But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’
15 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.’
16 Now 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—
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’
- KJV
- Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
- WEB
- “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come and reign over us.’
- ASV
- Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
- DARBY
- Then said all the trees to the thorn-bush, Come thou, reign over us.
- BLB
- And all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come you, reign over us.’
- ÅB
- Da sa alle trærne til tornebusken: Kom du og vær konge over oss!
- OTB
- Til slutt sa alle trærne til tornebusken: 'Du, kom og hersk over oss!'
- B1930
- Da sa alle trærne til tornebusken: Kom du og vær konge over oss!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Kings 14:9
But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
Read in context