Verse 8

“The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree,‘Be our king!’

Referenced Verses

• Judg 8:22-23 : 22 Gideon Rejects a Crown but Makes an Ephod The men of Israel said to Gideon,“Rule over us– you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” 23 Gideon said to them,“I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
• 2 Kgs 14:9 : 9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah,“A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon,‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn.
• Ezek 17:3-9 : 3 Say to them:‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:“‘A great eagle with broad wings, long feathers, with full plumage which was multi-hued, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4 He plucked off its topmost shoot; he brought it to a land of merchants and planted it in a city of traders. 5 He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water, like a willow he planted it. 6 It sprouted and became a vine, spreading low to the ground; its branches turning toward him, its roots were under itself. So it became a vine; it produced shoots and sent out branches. 7 “‘There was another great eagle with broad wings and thick plumage. Now this vine twisted its roots toward him and sent its branches toward him to be watered from the soil where it was planted. 8 In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a beautiful vine. 9 “‘Say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says:“‘Will it prosper? Will he not rip out its roots and cause its fruit to rot and wither? All its foliage will wither. No strong arm or large army will be needed to pull it out by its roots. 10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it? Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’”
• Dan 4:10-18 : 10 Here are the visions of my mind while I was on my bed. While I was watching, there was a tree in the middle of the land. It was enormously tall. 11 The tree grew large and strong. Its top reached far into the sky; it could be seen from the borders of all the land. 12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful; on it there was food enough for all. Under it the wild animals used to seek shade, and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest. All creatures used to feed themselves from it. 13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions on my bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven. 14 He called out loudly as follows:‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches! Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit! Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches! 15 But leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the animals in the grass of the land. 16 Let his mind be altered from that of a human being, and let an animal’s mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time go by for him. 17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels; this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones, so that those who are alive may understand that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, and he bestows them on whomever he wishes. He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’ 18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, for none of the wise men in my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”