Judges 9 19

Judges 9:19 kjv

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:

Judges 9:19 nkjv

if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

Judges 9:19 niv

So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too!

Judges 9:19 esv

if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

Judges 9:19 nlt

"If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.

Judges 9 verses

Judges 9 19 Meaning

Judges 9:19 presents a conditional statement delivered by Jotham to the people of Shechem. It is a searing indictment and a prophetic curse disguised as an invitation to joy. Jotham challenges the Shechemites: if they truly acted with faithfulness and blamelessness towards Gideon's family when they crowned Abimelech, then they could rightly celebrate their new king, and he, in turn, could celebrate them. The stark implication is that they did not act with truth and integrity, but with deceit and violence, making any genuine rejoicing impossible and foretelling a destructive end for both Abimelech and Shechem.

Judges 9 19 Context

Judges chapter 9 recounts the brief, violent reign of Abimelech, the ambitious son of Gideon by a concubine from Shechem. After Gideon refused kingship (Judg 8:23), Abimelech murdered his seventy half-brothers (except Jotham) to secure power and was made king by the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo (Judg 9:6). Verse 19 is part of Jotham's prophetic denunciation, delivered from Mount Gerizim, after fleeing Abimelech's massacre. It follows Jotham's Fable of the Trees (Judg 9:7-15), which satirizes the Shechemites' foolish choice of Abimelech as their king. The entire discourse is a stern warning against betrayal, human ambition, and the tragic consequences of choosing a worthless ruler over righteous leadership. Historically, this period reflects the spiritual and political decline of Israel after the judges, marked by a departure from the Lord's ways and a pursuit of worldly structures like monarchy without divine guidance.

Judges 9 19 Word analysis

• if you then have dealt: Sets a conditional premise. The 'if' implies a severe doubt regarding their actions. It is a rhetorical challenge rather than a true question.
• in truth: Hebrew: be'emet (בֶּאֱמֶת). Refers to faithfulness, reliability, and integrity. It points to a moral standard of honest and dependable conduct. This is ironically absent in the Shechemites' actions towards Gideon's house. It denotes sincerity and adherence to fact or reality, contrary to their treacherous deeds.
• and integrity: Hebrew: uv'tamim (וּבְתָמִים). Means wholeness, completeness, blamelessness, or sincerity. It refers to a state of being morally sound, perfect in conduct, without defect or duplicity. Together with 'truth,' it describes ethical uprightness and unblemished loyalty.
• with Jerubbaal: Jerubbaal (יְרֻבַּעַל) was Gideon’s given name (Judg 6:32), meaning "let Baal contend with him," signifying his stand against Baal worship. The mention of this name serves as a stark reminder of Gideon's fidelity to Yahweh and his heroic deeds for Israel, contrasting sharply with Abimelech's wicked rise to power and the Shechemites' betrayal of Gideon’s legacy.
• and with his house: Refers to Gideon's family, particularly his seventy sons whom Abimelech brutally murdered. This phrase underscores the massive injustice and bloodshed committed against the very family of their liberator.
• this day: Signifies the immediate context and impact of their actions—the recent bloodshed and the current coronation of Abimelech. It emphasizes the immediacy of the judgment and consequence.
• then rejoice: Hebrew: tismekhu (תִּשְׂמְחוּ), an imperative form of "to rejoice." This is an ironic command. Since they acted without truth and integrity, genuine rejoicing is impossible, transforming this "rejoice" into a veiled prophecy of their downfall. True joy cannot come from wicked deeds.
• in Abimelech: Refers to Abimelech, the new, illegitimate king whom they had chosen by their treacherous acts. The source of their supposed joy is ironically the source of their impending destruction.
• and let him also rejoice in you: This speaks to the concept of reciprocal delight and mutual benefit. If their relationship was built on truth, they would enjoy each other. But since it was built on treachery, their "rejoicing" would devolve into mutual destruction and sorrow, as the rest of the chapter recounts. This phrase anticipates the conflict and betrayal that would later erupt between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:23).

Words-group Analysis

• "if you then have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house": This crucial conditional clause lays the moral foundation for the entire curse. It highlights the stark contrast between how they should have acted (faithfully, loyally, righteously) and how they actually acted (treacherously, violently). It emphasizes their profound breach of duty and loyalty to Gideon's legacy and family.
• "this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you": This segment connects the present actions to the ironic consequence. The supposed "rejoicing" is not genuine celebration but a sardonic prophecy. It functions as an unfulfillable condition because their actions disqualify them from true joy, setting the stage for their bitter and destructive mutual hatred, culminating in their ultimate downfall, where Abimelech fights against Shechem, and they destroy each other.

Judges 9 19 Bonus section

The phrase "in truth and integrity" holds deep covenantal significance. Israel, having renewed covenants at Shechem multiple times, was called to act with such virtues toward God and one another. The Shechemites, by their actions, profoundly violated these covenantal principles, showing themselves faithless not only to Gideon’s house but, implicitly, to the very foundation of their community. Jotham’s words are not just a personal curse but a prophetic indictment on their spiritual apostasy and political folly, highlighting the severe consequences of choosing human self-rule over divine principles and true righteousness. This moment stands as a critical reminder that lasting joy and true blessing flow from actions rooted in faithfulness and ethical soundness.

Judges 9 19 Commentary

Judges 9:19, delivered by Jotham, functions as the turning point of his fable, applying the allegory directly to the Shechemites. It is not an invitation to joy but a potent, conditional curse, deeply saturated with irony. The "if...then" construction clearly indicates that the premise—having acted with truth and integrity towards Gideon’s house—was demonstrably false. The Shechemites had participated in the murder of Gideon's 70 sons and had willingly chosen a deceitful and violent man, Abimelech, as their king. Therefore, any joy derived from this relationship would be superficial and short-lived, quickly turning to bitterness and destruction. Jotham effectively declares that because their foundations were built on deceit and bloodshed, their "rejoicing" would inevitably manifest as mutual ruin, echoing the principle that one reaps what one sows. This verse prefigures the bitter conflict that would soon erupt between Abimelech and the Shechemites, demonstrating divine retribution for treachery and the foolishness of relying on a human king who embodies unrighteousness.