But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’
Parallel translations
- WEB “The vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’
- KJV And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
- BSB But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
- NASB But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I give up my new wine, which cheers God and mankind, and go to wave over the trees?’
- NLT But the grapevine also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The vine declines, unwilling to forsake its wine that cheers God and man.
Overview
The vine's wine gladdens both worship and daily life, so it too refuses empty rule. The threefold refusal of the fruitful trees sharpens the fable's irony. Only the useless bramble remains to be asked, exposing the folly of Shechem's choice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Num 15:10and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
- Eccl 10:19A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
- Ps 104:15wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
- Num 15:5You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.
- Prov 31:6Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:
- Num 15:7and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 9:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.