Judges 9:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king, &c.— We have here the most ancient example of the use of parables and apologues, to set forth the most serious matters and the most interesting truths. The Greeks pretend to have been the inventors, but there is nothing more absurd than their vanity in this respect. A long time before AEsop, and every other author known to their nation, the Orientals, and particularly the Hebrews, made use of this ingenious manner, to instruct by amusing, without giving pain or offence. Bishop Warburton, in his Div. Leg. vol. 3: has some ingenious remarks upon this subject, to which we refer the reader; observing only from him, that, "As speech became more cultivated, the rude manner of speaking by action was smoothed and polished into an apologue or fable; where the speaker, to enforce his purpose by a suitable impression, told a familiar tale of his own invention, accompanied with such circumstances as made his design evident and persuasive; for language was yet too narrow, and the minds of men too undisciplined, to support only abstract reasoning and a direct address. We have a noble example of this form of instruction in a speech of Jotham to the men of Shechem, in which he upbraids their folly, and foretels their ruin, in choosing Abimelech for their king: and this is not only the oldest, but likewise the most beautiful apologue of antiquity. The general moral, which is of great importance, and is inculcated with all imaginable force, is, that weak and worthless men are ever most forward in thrusting themselves into power, while the wise and good decline rule, and prize their native ease and freedom. The vanity of base men in power is taught in the 15th verse; and the ridicule of that vanity is inimitably marked out in those circumstances where the bramble is made to bid his new subjects, who wanted no shadow, to come and put their trust in his; and that, in case of disobedience, he would send out from himself a fire, that should devour the cedars of Lebanon; whereas the fire of the bramble was short and momentary, even to a proverb among Easterns."