Judg 9:8-15, 2Sa 12:1-4, 1Ki 4:33, Eze 20:49 | TSK | STEP | The trees.This is the most ancient fable or apologue extant; and is extremely beautiful, apposite, and intelligible. olive tree.The {zayith,} or olive tree, in the Linnean system, is a genus of the {diandra monogynia} class of plants. It is of a moderate height, and grows best in sunny places. Its trunk is knotty; bark smooth, of an ash colour: wood solid and yellowish; leaves oblong, almost like those of the willow, of a dark green colour on the upper side, and whitish below. In June it puts forth white flowers, growing in bunches, each of one piece, widening towards the top, and dividing into four parts. After this succeeds the fruit, which is oblong and plump; first green, then pale, and when quite ripe, black. Within it is enclosed a hard stone, filled with oblong seeds. It was the most useful of all trees in the forest; as the bramble was the meanest and most worthless. Reign.

Judges 9:8-15

The trees.This is the most ancient fable or apologue extant; and is extremely beautiful, apposite, and intelligible.

olive tree.The {zayith,} or olive tree, in the Linnean system, is a genus of the {diandra monogynia} class of plants. It is of a moderate height, and grows best in sunny places. Its trunk is knotty; bark smooth, of an ash colour: wood solid and yellowish; leaves oblong, almost like those of the willow, of a dark green colour on the upper side, and whitish below. In June it puts forth white flowers, growing in bunches, each of one piece, widening towards the top, and dividing into four parts. After this succeeds the fruit, which is oblong and plump; first green, then pale, and when quite ripe, black. Within it is enclosed a hard stone, filled with oblong seeds. It was the most useful of all trees in the forest; as the bramble was the meanest and most worthless.

Reign.

8:22,23

wherewith.

Ex 29:2,7; 35:14; Le 2:1; 1Ki 19:15,16; Ps 89:20; 104:15; Ac 4:27

Ac 10:38; 1Jo 2:20

God.{Elohim,} rather gods; the parable being adapted to the idolatrous Shechemites.

to be promoted over the trees. Heb. up and down for othertrees.

Job 1:7; 2:2

Lu 13:6,7

cheereth.

Nu 15:5,7,10; Ps 104:15; Pr 31:6; Ec 10:19

bramble. or, thistle.

2Ki 14:9

shadow.

Isa 30:2; Da 4:12; Ho 14:7; Mt 13:32

let fire.

20,49; Nu 21:28; Isa 1:31; Eze 19:14

the cedars.

2Ki 14:9; Ps 104:16; Isa 2:13; 37:24; Eze 31:3

2 Samuel 12:1-4

1 Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge.

7 David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned.

15 David mourns and prays for the child while it lives.

24 Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah.

26 David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof.

A.M. 2970. B.C. 1034. An. Ex. Is. 457. the Lord.

7:1-5; 24:11-13; 1Ki 13:1; 18:1; 2Ki 1:3

unto David.

11:10-17,25; 14:14; Isa 57:17,18

he came.

Ps 51:1; *title

There were.There is nothing in this parable which requires illustration. Its bent is evident; and it was wisely constructed, by not having too near a resemblance, to make David unwittingly pass sentence on himself. The parable was in David's hand what his own letter was in the hands of the brave Uriah. Nathan at length closed in with him in the application of it. In beginning with a parable he shewed his prudence, and great need there is of prudence in giving reproof; but now he speaks as an ambassador from God. He reminds David of the great things God had designed and done for him, and then charges him with a high contempt of the Divine authority, and threatens an entail of judgments upon his family for this sin. Those who despise the word and law of God, despise God himself, and will assuredly suffer for such contempt.

14:5-11; Jud 9:7-15; 1Ki 20:35-41; Isa 5:1-7; Mt 21:33-45

Lu 15:11-32; 16:19-31

exceeding.

8; 3:2-5; 5:13-16; 15:16; Job 1:3

one little.

11:3; Pr 5:18,19

meat. Heb. morsel. lay in his.

De 13:6; Mic 7:5

a traveller.

Ge 18:2-7; Jas 1:14

took the.

11:3,4

1 Kings 4:33

the cedar tree.The word {airez,} whence the Chaldee and Syriac {arzo,} and the Arabic and Ethiopic {arz,} and Spanish {alerze,} unquestionably denotes the cedar; it is thus rendered by the LXX. and other versions, [kedros,] and by the Vulgate {cedrus;} and the inhabitants of mount Lebanon still call it {ars.} The cedar is a large and nobel evergreen tree, and grows on the most elevated part of the mountain, is taller than the pine, and so thick that five men together could scarcely fathom one. It shoots out its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground; they are large and distant from each other, and are perpetually green. The wood is of a brown colour, very solid and incorruptible, if preserved from wet. The tree bears a small cone, like that of the pine.

Nu 24:6; 2Ki 19:23; Ps 92:12

the hyssop.

Ex 12:22; Nu 19:18; Ps 51:7; Heb 9:19

of beasts.

Ge 1:20-25

Ezekiel 20:49

Doth.Is it not his usual custom to deal in enigmas? His figures are not to be understood; we should not trouble ourselves with them. God therefore commands the prophet to declare, in the next chapter, the same things in the plainest terms, so that they should not complain of his parables.

Mt 13:13,14; Joh 16:25; Ac 17:18