The Meaning of Judges 9:11 Explained

Judges 9:11

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

YLT: 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?

Darby: But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?'

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Judges 9:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:7-21 - The Bramble King
Men must have leadership. The reason lies deep in human nature. The French Revolutionaries destroyed the royal family, but Robespierre, Danton and Marat were practically enthroned in the position from which Louis was hurled. In Oliver Cromwell's commonwealth, he exercised the royal prerogative. Some of us enthrone the fatness of the olive, some the sweetness of the fig, and some the good cheer of the vine. In other words, the guiding ideal of some souls is Prosperity, of others Love, of others Pleasure. And yet others choose the bramble-with its prickly thorns-which, when scorched by the summer-heat, is near unto burning, Hebrews 6:8. It stands, therefore, for the useless and perilous life, which is doomed to the scrap-heap. See 1 Corinthians 9:27.
In the meanwhile Jesus waits to become the crowned King of each soul. He adventured his life and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, to whom we had sold ourselves. Do we deal truly and uprightly with Him, in allowing other lords to rule over us while we crown Him with thorns? See Judges 9:17; Judges 19:1-30. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Judges 9:11 mean?

But said to them the fig tree Should I cease - my sweetness and my fruit good and go to sway over trees
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַתְּאֵנָ֔ה הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙ אֶת־ מָתְקִ֔י וְאֶת־ תְּנוּבָתִ֖י הַטּוֹבָ֑ה וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י לָנ֖וּעַ עַל־ ؟ הָעֵצִֽים

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הַתְּאֵנָ֔ה  the  fig  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּאֵנָה  
Sense: fig, fig tree.
הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙  Should  I  cease 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מָתְקִ֔י  my  sweetness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מֹתֶק  
Sense: sweetness.
תְּנוּבָתִ֖י  my  fruit 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תְּנוּבָה  
Sense: fruit, produce.
הַטּוֹבָ֑ה  good 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לָנ֖וּעַ  to  sway 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּעַ  
Sense: to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
؟ הָעֵצִֽים  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 9:11?

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