The Meaning of Judges 9:16 Explained

Judges 9:16

KJV: Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

YLT: And, now, if in truth and in sincerity ye have acted, when ye make Abimelech king; and if ye have done good with Jerubbaal, and with his house; and if according to the deed of his hands ye have done to him --

Darby: "Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and honor when you made Abim'elech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubba'al and his house, and have done to him as his deeds deserved--

ASV: Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore, if ye have done  truly  and sincerely,  in that ye have made Abimelech  king,  and if ye have dealt  well  with Jerubbaal  and his house,  and have done  unto him according to the deserving  of his hands; 

What does Judges 9:16 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 9:16 mean?

Therefore now if in truth and sincerity you have acted and in making king - Abimelech and if well you have dealt with Jerubbaal and his house and as deserves he have done to him
וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־ בֶּאֱמֶ֤ת וּבְתָמִים֙ עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם וַתַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־ אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וְאִם־ טוֹבָ֤ה עֲשִׂיתֶם֙ עִם־ יְרֻבַּ֣עַל וְעִם־ בֵּית֔וֹ וְאִם־ כִּגְמ֥וּל יָדָ֖יו עֲשִׂ֥יתֶם לֽוֹ

וְעַתָּ֗ה  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
בֶּאֱמֶ֤ת  in  truth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
וּבְתָמִים֙  and  sincerity 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם  you  have  acted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וַתַּמְלִ֖יכוּ  and  in  making  king 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
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.
אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
וְאִם־  and  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
טוֹבָ֤ה  well 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be pleasant, be favourable, be happy, be right.
עֲשִׂיתֶם֙  you  have  dealt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יְרֻבַּ֣עַל  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
בֵּית֔וֹ  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
כִּגְמ֥וּל  as  deserves 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּמוּל  
Sense: dealing, recompense, benefit.
עֲשִׂ֥יתֶם  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לֽוֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular

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