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Judges 9:17

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 9:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
Judges 9:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 9

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, 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, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18and 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 maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);
19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20but 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.
← Judges 9:16Judges 9:18 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“For my father fought for you, etc.] In the valley of Jezreel, and at Karkor, where with three hundred men he routed and destroyed an army of 135,000: and adventured his life far: which, according to our version, may seem to have respect to his going over Jordan, and following the Midianites, fleeing into their country, and fighting them at Karkor, at a great distance from his native place; but the phrase in the original text is, “he cast away his life afar” f201, made no account of it, exposed it to the greatest danger; or, as the Targum, “he delivered his life as it were to destruction:” and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; from the oppression and bondage of the Midianites, under…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“This fable and that noted in the marginal reference are the only two of the kind found in Scripture. Somewhat different are the parables of the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 12:1-4; 2 Samuel 14:5-11; 1 Kings 20:39-40. Judges 9:9 Honour God and man - Alluding to the constant use of oil in the meat-offerings Leviticus 2:1-16, and in the holy ointment Exodus 30:24-25. In like manner, the allusion in Judges 9:13 is to the drink-offerings of wine. See Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15:10. Judges 9:14 The bramble - Said to be the Rhamnus Paliurus of Linnaeus, otherwise called Spina-Christi, or Christ’s Thorn, a shrub with sharp thorns. The application is obvious. The noble Gideon and his worthy sons had…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“fought: Judg. 7:1-25, Jdg 8:4-10 adventured his life: Heb. cast his life, Est 4:16; Rom 5:8, Rom 16:4; Rev 12:11 Judges 9:18”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification