OET interlinear JDG 9:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

וְ⁠עַתָּ֗ה אִם־בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֤ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִים֙ עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם וַ⁠תַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וְ⁠אִם־טוֹבָ֤ה עֲשִׂיתֶם֙ עִם־יְרֻבַּ֣עַל וְ⁠עִם־בֵּית֔⁠וֹ וְ⁠אִם־כִּ⁠גְמ֥וּל יָדָ֖י⁠ו עֲשִׂ֥יתֶם לֽ⁠וֹ

and=now if in/on/at/with,good_faith and,in/on/at/with,integrity acted and,making_~_king DOM ʼAⱱīmelek and=if well dealt with Yərubaˊal/(Jerubbaal) and,to house,his and=if as,deserved actions,he dealt to=him/it

In verses 16–19, Jotham is describing a condition in which a second event should take place only if a first event has taken place. He makes a series of “if” statements in verses 16 and 19 (suggesting in verses 17 and 18 that these statements are not actually true), and then in the second half of verse 19 he says what the lords of Shechem should do if they have done what he has described. These verses are all one long sentence. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could translate them as a series of shorter sentences. Alternate translation: “So now, suppose you have acted in truth and in integrity and made Abimelek reign. Suppose you have done good with Jerubbaal and with his house. Suppose that according to the deserving of his hands you have done to him.”

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

וְ⁠עַתָּ֗ה אִם & עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם

and=now if & acted

Jotham has finished telling the story of the trees, and he is using the expression So now to introduce his explanation of the implications of the story. You could indicate this more explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “Now this is how my story applies to you: if you have acted”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אִם־בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֤ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִים֙ עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם וַ⁠תַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ

if in/on/at/with,good_faith and,in/on/at/with,integrity acted and,making_~_king DOM ʼAⱱīmelek

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of truth and integrity, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “if you have acted truly and genuinely and made Abimelek reign”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אִם־בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֤ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִים֙ עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם וַ⁠תַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ

if in/on/at/with,good_faith and,in/on/at/with,integrity acted and,making_~_king DOM ʼAⱱīmelek

In his explanation of the parable, Jotham carries the implications of the idea of truth one step farther than in the parable. That term refers to faithfully fulfilling relational responsibilities towards another person. In a sense, just as the trees were not doing right by the thornbush by anointing it king just because the other trees refused, so the lords of Shechem are not doing right by Abimelek by supporting his murderous plot to become king. They should have encouraged him to be honest and humble and peaceful instead. But the person they are most significantly not doing right by is Gideon. Jotham will develop this idea at length in the verses that follow. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “if you have really been fair to Gideon by making Abimelek reign”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֤ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִים֙

in/on/at/with,good_faith and,in/on/at/with,integrity

The terms truth and integrity mean similar things. Jotham is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “with complete sincerity”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בֵּית֔⁠וֹ

house,his

Here, house means all the people descended from a particular person. Alternate translation: “his descendants”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

כִּ⁠גְמ֥וּל יָדָ֖י⁠ו

as,deserved actions,he

Jotham is using the word hands to mean what his father Jerubbaal (Gideon) did for the Israelites, by association with the way people use their hands to do things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “according to what his actions deserved”