JDG 9:20 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not necessarily natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Εἰ δὲ οὐ, ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἀπὸ Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ καταφάγοι τοὺς ἄνδρας Σικίμων καὶ τὸν οἴκον Βηθμααλώ· καὶ ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἀπὸ ἀνδρῶν Σικίμων, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου Βηθμααλὼ, καὶ καταφάγοι τὸν Ἀβιμέλεχ.
(Ei de ou, exelthoi pur apo Abimeleⱪ, kai katafagoi tous andras Sikimōn kai ton oikon Baʸthmaʼalō; kai exelthoi pur apo andrōn Sikimōn, kai ek tou oikou Baʸthmaʼalō, kai katafagoi ton Abimeleⱪ.)

BrTr but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Sicima, and the house of Beth-maalo; and let fire come out from the men of Sicima and from the house of Beth-maalo, and devour Abimelech.

ULT But if not, may fire go forth from Abimelech, and may it consume the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo, and may fire go forth from the lords of Shechem and from Beth Millo, and may it consume Abimelech.”

UST But if what you did was not right, then I hope that Abimelech destroys you leaders of Shechem and you officers from the fort, and I hope that you destroy him!”

BSB & MSB But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth -millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth -millo and consume Abimelech.”

OEB No OEB JDG 9:20 book available

WEBBE & WMBB 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.”

NET But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!”

LSV and if not—fire comes out from Abimelech and devours the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and fire comes out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devours Abimelech.”

FBV But if you haven't, then may fire flame out from Abimelech, and may it burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire flame out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and burn up Abimelech!”

T4T But if what you did was not right, I wish/desire that Abimelech will burn up all of you leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo with fire! And I also hope/desire that the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo will cause fire to burn up Abimelech!”

LEB But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech and let it devour the lords of Shechem and Beth-Millo; and let a fire come out from the lords of Shechem, and from Beth-Millo, and let it devour Abimelech.”

BBE But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech, burning up the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo, for the destruction of Abimelech.

Moff No Moff JDG 9:20 book available

JPS But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.'

ASV 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.

DRA But if unjustly: let fire come out from him, and consume the inhabitants of Sichem, and the town of Mello: and let fire come out from the men of Sichem, and from the town of Mello, and devour Abimelech.

YLT and if not — fire cometh out from Abimelech and devoureth the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and fire cometh out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devoureth Abimelech.'

Drby but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

RV 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.

SLT And if not, fire shall come forth from Abimelech and shall consume the lords of Shechem and the House of the Rampart; and fire shall come forth from the lords of Shechem and from the House of the Rampart, and shall consume Abimelech.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and deuoure 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 deuoure Abimeleeh.
(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 Abimeleeh.)

Bshps But if you haue not dealt truely, then let a fire come out of Abimelech, & consume the men of Sichem, & the house of Mello: and let there come out a fire fro among the men of Sichem, & out of the house of Mello, & consume Abimelech.
(But if you have not dealt truly, then let a fire come out of Abimelech, and consume the men of Sichem, and the house of Mello: and let there come out a fire from among the men of Sichem, and out of the house of Mello, and consume Abimelech.)

Gnva But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech, and consume the men of Shechem and the house of Millo: also let a fire come foorth from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.
(But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech, and consume the men of Shechem and the house of Millo: also let a fire come forth from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.)

Cvdl Yf no, then go fyre out from Abimelech, and cosume the men of Sichem and the house of Millo: And fyre go out also fro the men of Sichem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.
(If no, then go fire out from Abimelech, and consume the men of Sichem and the house of Millo: And fire go out also from the men of Sichem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.)

Wycl fier go out `of hym, and waste the dwelleris of Sichem, and the citee of Mello; and fier go out of the men of Sichem, and of the citee of Mello, and deuoure Abymelech.
(fire go out of him, and waste the dwellers of Sichem, and the city of Mello; and fire go out of the men of Sichem, and of the city of Mello, and devour Abimelech.)

Luth Wo nicht, so gehe Feuer aus von Abimelech und verzehre die Männer zu Sichem und das Haus Millo; und gehe auch Feuer aus von den Männern zu Sichem und vom Hause Millo und verzehre Abimelech.
(Where not, so go fire(n) out_of from Abimelech and consume the men to/for Sichem and the house Millo; and go also fire(n) out_of from the men to/for Sichem and from_the house(n) Millo and consume Abimelech.)

ClVg Sin autem perverse: egrediatur ignis ex eo, et consumat habitatores Sichem, et oppidum Mello: egrediaturque ignis de viris Sichem, et de oppido Mello, et devoret Abimelech.
(Sin however perverse: let_it_go_out fire from by_him, and consume the_inhabitants Sichem, and town Millo: and_let_it_go_out fire from/about men Sichem, and from/about town Millo, and devour Abimelech.)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

וְ⁠אִם־אַ֕יִן תֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙

and=if not (Some words not found in UHB: and=if not come_out fire from,Abimelech and,let_it_consume DOM masters_of Shekem and=DOM house_of -millo and,let_it_go_out fire from,the_citizens_of Shekem and=from=household -millo and,let_it_consume DOM ʼAⱱīmelek )

Jotham is describing a further condition in which a second event would take place if a first event had. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explicitly state the implied “then” before the second part of this statement. Alternate translation: [But if not, then may fire go forth]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠אִם־אַ֕יִן

and=if not

Jotham is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [But if you have not acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

תֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ מֵ⁠אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְ⁠תֹאכַ֛ל אֶת־בַּעֲלֵ֥י שְׁכֶ֖ם וְ⁠אֶת־בֵּ֣ית מִלּ֑וֹא וְ⁠תֵצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ מִ⁠בַּעֲלֵ֤י שְׁכֶם֙ וּ⁠מִ⁠בֵּ֣ית מִלּ֔וֹא וְ⁠תֹאכַ֖ל אֶת־אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ

(Some words not found in UHB: and=if not come_out fire from,Abimelech and,let_it_consume DOM masters_of Shekem and=DOM house_of -millo and,let_it_go_out fire from,the_citizens_of Shekem and=from=household -millo and,let_it_consume DOM ʼAⱱīmelek )

Jotham is speaking as if fire would literally go forth from Abimelech and burn up the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo and as if fire from them would also burn up Abimelech. Jotham is using fire to represent the destruction of warfare. He means that, if Abimelech and the lords of Shechem have not treated Gideon and his family right, then he hopes and expects that they will turn against each other and fight a war and destroy each other. (Part of what he said actually was fulfilled literally, when Abimelech burned the tower of Shechem, as [verse 49](../09/49.md) describes.) If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [may Abimelech and you lords of Shechem fight a war against each other that destroys all of you]

BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:

Abimelech Seizes Power

Judges 9

Virtually every account in the book of Judges paints this formative period in Israel’s history as a very dark, brutal time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The story of Abimelech’s rise to power is no exception. Judges 6-8 recounts the heroic deeds of Gideon, a Manassite from the clan of Abiezer who rescued the Israelites from the Midianites. After Gideon’s victory, he returned to his hometown of Ophrah, and Israel enjoyed peace for the rest of his lifetime. But Gideon also left a legacy of idolatry by him, by his family, and by many Israelites. Gideon had many wives and seventy sons, as well as a concubine in Shechem who gave birth to another son named Abimelech (Judges 8:29-32). It appears that when Abimelech grew up, he settled in Arumah, (Judges 9:31), just outside Manassite territory in the tribal allotment of Ephraim (Joshua 16-17; see “Poster Map of the Tribe of Manasseh (West) and Its Surroundings, circa 1200 B.C.” map). Perhaps this move to non-Manassite territory reflected Abimelech’s lack of a legitimate heritage from his Manassite father. Later, Abimelech visited his relatives in Shechem and convinced them to persuade the leaders of Shechem to make him ruler over the city. To ensure that none of his seventy brothers, who were legitimate heirs to Gideon, challenged his authority, Abimelech went to Ophrah and killed all but one of them. The only brother to escape was Jotham, the youngest, and he went to the top of Mount Gerizim and warned them against betraying Gideon by making Abimelech king. Then he fled to the town of Beer, perhaps the same as Beeroth near the town of Gibeon. After three years, however, the leaders of Shechem began to grow dissatisfied with Abimelech as their king, and a man named Gaal offered to rule in place of him. Abimelech’s ally Zebul, who was one of the leaders of Shechem, went to Arumah and told Abimelech what Gaal was planning to do. So Gideon and his men split up into four groups and secretly surrounded the city at night. Then they attacked Gaal’s men, and Gaal’s men retreated into Shechem. Zebul drove them back out into the fields, and Abimelech’s men defeated them and captured the city. Some of the leaders of Shechem fled into the temple of El-berith (or Baal-berith), but Abimelech and his men cut down branches from Mount Zalmon (likely Mount Ebal just north of Shechem) and set fire to the temple, killing about 1000 people inside. Then Abimelech and his men went to Thebez and attacked the city. Many of the citizens took refuge inside a strong tower in the town, and Abimelech prepared to set fire to the entrance. But a woman on the roof dropped a millstone on his head, crushing his skull, so Abimelech commanded his armor bearer to kill him.

Parallel JDG 9:20

Abimelech Seizes Power