וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַזַּ֔יִת הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙ אֶת־דִּשְׁנִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־בִּ֛י יְכַבְּד֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י לָנ֖וּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִֽים׃
Tetapi pohon zaitun berkata kepada mereka: ‘Masakan aku harus meninggalkan minyakku, yang dipakai untuk memuliakan Allah dan manusia, lalu pergi bergoyang-goyang di atas pohon-pohon?’
Abarbanel
The second principle is that this anointing that is mentioned should be with oil and not with wine or other liquids. The Torah stated: oil of sacred anointment (Exodus 30:25). And with the anointment of kings, it is stated, if with Saul: Samuel took a flask of oil and poured some on Saul’s head (I Samuel 10:1). And with David, it was said to Samuel: Fill your horn with oil (I Samuel 16:1), because all anointments were with oil. And for me, that is for two reasons. The first is that oil, among the other liquids, is the one that indicates the most honor and stature. Do you not see in the words of Yotam, the son of Jerubbaal, when he took up his parable:Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves (Judges 9:8), he mentioned the olive tree first. Then he said about it: Have I, through whom God and humans are honored, stopped yielding my rich oil, etc.(Judges 9:9) since he ascribed honor to oil. And that is why he mentioned the olive tree first. As the olive tree, among all the other trees, was the one most fitting for monarchy since it was more honorable than all of them. And that is why [olive] oil is elevated above all the other liquids. And due to its stature, the psalmist said: It is like fine oil on the head (Psalms 133:2). And Solomon said: and let your head never lack oil (Ecclesiastes 9:8). And since the vessels of the Temple, and the priests from among the rest of the people, and the kings among the Jewish people were unique in their honor and stature, the sign for their being chosen and unique was the oil, which indicated this. And the second reason is that [olive] oil is what is the most constant over a long time above all the other liquids, without being finished, since the holiness of the Temple vessels and the priests was forever, never to depart. And likewise, the monarchy of the kings was constant for them and their descendants after them if they walked in the ways of the Lord. And it is like it was stated: in order that he may prolong days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:20). That is why their anointment was with oil, to indicate the eternity of that stature and holiness.