The Trees and the Bramble

Illustration of The Trees and the Bramble
From the top of Mount Gerizim, Gideon's only surviving son told a story about trees choosing a king - and the worthless bramble that said yes.

After Abimelech murdered seventy of his brothers, the sons of Gideon, and was made king at Shechem, the youngest son Jotham escaped. Standing on the top of Mount Gerizim, he called out a parable to the men of Shechem. The trees went to anoint a king, but the olive, the fig tree, and the vine each refused to give up their good fruit to rule. At last the bramble accepted, inviting the trees to trust in its shadow or else be devoured by fire. Jotham warned that if they had acted wrongly, fire would come out from Abimelech to consume Shechem and from Shechem to consume Abimelech. Later in the chapter, both came to pass.

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Category: Judgment

Meaning: Worthy people often decline to rule while worthless people grasp at power; those who choose unworthy leaders bring destruction on themselves.

Audience: Men of Shechem

Key Chapters

Judges 9 Abimelech's Reign 10 min read Jotham's fable shows the fruitful trees refusing the crown while the useless bra...

Key Passages

The Trees Seek a King

Judges 9:7-15

Jotham's fable shows the fruitful trees refusing the crown while the useless bramble eagerly accepts it.

A7nd when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 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? 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

Jotham's Challenge

Judges 9:16-21

Jotham applies the fable to Shechem and Abimelech, warning that fire will come out from each to devour the other.

N16ow 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;

17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18 And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) 19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

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Did You Know?

1

It is often called the oldest fable in the Bible.

2

Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon and the only one to escape Abimelech's massacre.

3

The olive, fig, and vine were Israel's most valued plants, while the bramble gives no fruit and little shade.

4

After three years Abimelech destroyed Shechem, and he was later struck down at Thebez by a piece of millstone a woman cast from a tower (Judges 9:45-54).