8
The treesהָעֵצִיםwent outהָלוֹךְ הָלְכוּto anointלִמְשֹׁחַover themselvesעֲלֵיהֶםa king,מֶלֶךְand they saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto the olive tree,לַזַּיִת‘Reignמָלְכָהover us.’עָלֵינוּ
Judges 9:8
Study it in the app“The trees went out to anoint over themselves a king, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’”
With the Hebrew beneath
Judges 9:8, word by word
- The treesעֵצִיםetsim
tree
A tall plant with trunk and branches, giving fruit, shade or timber.
Where else “etsim” appears- went outהָלוֹךְhaloch
go
To move on foot from place to place; to set out.
Where else “haloch” appears- to anointמְשֹׁחַmeshoach
anoint
To pour oil on someone to set them apart for God.
Where else “meshoach” appears- a kingמֶלֶךְmelech
king
A king who rules a people.
Where else “melech” appears- and they saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appears- to the olive treeזַּיִתzayit
olive tree
A tree with silvery leaves that yields fruit and oil; very common in Israel.
Where else “zayit” appears- ‘Reignמָלְכָmalcha
reign
To be king of a people, or to begin ruling it as king.
Where else “malcha” appears
Translation note
What follows is a fable: Jotham makes the trees speak (verses 8-15) and then applies it to Shechem and Abimelech (verses 16-20).
The context
7When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, lifted up his voice, called out, and said to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, so that Elohim may listen to you.
8 · This verse (above)
9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my fatness, by which through me Elohim and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’