The Meaning of Judges 9:9 Explained

Judges 9:9

KJV: But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

YLT: And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

Darby: But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness, by which gods and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'

ASV: But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the olive tree  said  unto them, Should I leave  my fatness,  wherewith by me they honour  God  and man,  and go  to be promoted  over the trees? 

What does Judges 9:9 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 9:9 mean?

But said to them the olive tree Should I cease giving - my oil with which in they honor God and men and go to sway over trees
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַזַּ֔יִת הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙ אֶת־ דִּשְׁנִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־ בִּ֛י יְכַבְּד֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י לָנ֖וּעַ עַל־ ؟ הָעֵצִֽים

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הַזַּ֔יִת  the  olive  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙  Should  I  cease  giving 
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.
דִּשְׁנִ֔י  my  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: דֶּשֶׁן  
Sense: fat ashes, fatness.
אֲשֶׁר־  with  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְכַבְּד֥וּ  they  honor 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַאֲנָשִׁ֑ים  and  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
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.