The Meaning of Judges 9:2 Explained

Judges 9:2

KJV: Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

YLT: Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the masters of Shechem, Which is good for you -- the ruling over you of seventy men (all the sons of Jerubbaal), or the ruling over you of one man? -- and ye have remembered that I am your bone and your flesh.'

Darby: "Say in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubba'al rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

ASV: Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Speak,  I pray you, in the ears  of all the men  of Shechem,  Whether [is] better  for you, either that all the sons  of Jerubbaal,  [which are] threescore and ten  persons,  reign  over you, or that one  reign  over you? remember  also that I [am] your bone  and your flesh. 

What does Judges 9:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:1-6 - "through Slaughter To A Throne"
The Children of Israel were guilty of great fickleness and instability. They soon relapsed into Baal worship and forgot to show kindness to the family of their great leader. But such is the frailty of the human heart. However hot we may be for Christ today, we may be cold and distant tomorrow. It seems as if the great adversary taunts us with this as he did John Bunyan, to whom he kept whispering. "I'll cool you, I'll cool you." We must take our fickle hearts to our Lord, asking Him to keep us true and hot in our love. There are times when His friendship is the most real thing in life, but then the rainbow-glory fades in the sky. Let it not be so any more, O Lord, we beseech thee!
The terrible crime of Abimelech was extenuated by the people of Shechem, because his mother was one of themselves. Compare Judges 8:31 with 9:1, 18. But the mills of God were grinding out awful trouble for them all, Judges 9:56-57. Surely, in his lack of self-control, Gideon had much to answer for, Judges 8:30! The evil that men do lives after them. [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 9:2 mean?

speak please in the hearing of all the men of Shechem what [is] better for you [that] reign over you seventy of men all the sons of Jerubbaal or [that] reign man one and Remember that your own bone and flesh I [am]
דַּבְּרוּ־ נָ֞א בְּאָזְנֵ֨י כָל־ בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶם֮ מַה־ טּ֣וֹב לָכֶם֒ הַמְשֹׁ֨ל בָּכֶ֜ם שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ כֹּ֚ל בְּנֵ֣י יְרֻבַּ֔עַל אִם־ מְשֹׁ֥ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וּזְכַרְתֶּ֕ם כִּֽי־ עַצְמֵכֶם‪‬‪‬‪‬ וּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם אָנִֽי‪‬

דַּבְּרוּ־  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
נָ֞א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
בְּאָזְנֵ֨י  in  the  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
כָל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בַּעֲלֵ֣י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּעַל 
Sense: owner, husband, lord.
שְׁכֶם֮  of  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
מַה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
טּ֣וֹב  better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לָכֶם֒  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
הַמְשֹׁ֨ל  [that]  reign 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָשַׁל  
Sense: to rule, have dominion, reign.
בָּכֶ֜ם  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
שִׁבְעִ֣ים  seventy 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁבְעִים  
Sense: seventy.
אִ֗ישׁ  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְרֻבַּ֔עַל  of  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
מְשֹׁ֥ל  [that]  reign 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָשַׁל  
Sense: to rule, have dominion, reign.
אִ֣ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָ֑ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וּזְכַרְתֶּ֕ם  and  Remember 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עַצְמֵכֶם‪‬‪‬‪‬  your  own  bone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
וּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם  and  flesh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
אָנִֽי‪‬  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.