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Judges chapter 8

English Standard Version

1Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they accused him fiercely. 2And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger against him subsided when he said this.
4And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5So he said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." 6And the officials of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?" 7So Gideon said, "Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." 8And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9And he said to the men of Penuel, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.
13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’" 16And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king." 19And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you." 20So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise and kill them!" But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian." 23Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you." 24And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
29Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.
New International Version

1Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they challenged him vigorously.
2But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. 5He said to the men of Sukkoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6But the officials of Sukkoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?"
7Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers."
8From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower."
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
13Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. 14He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth, the elders of the town. 15Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’ " 16He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
18Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "Men like you," they answered, "each one with the bearing of a prince."
19Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you." 20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’ " So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.
22The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian."
23But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." 24And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25They answered, "We’ll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
28Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.
29Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 30He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek. 32Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god 34and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.
New American Standard Bible

1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, 'What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling upon us when you went to fight against Midian?' And they quarreled with him vehemently. 2But he said to them, 'What have I done now in comparison with you? Is the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim not better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God has handed over to you the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
4Then Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, exhausted yet still pursuing. 5And he said to the men of Succoth, 'Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.' 6But the leaders of Succoth said, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?' 7So Gideon said, 'For this answer, when the Lord has handed over to me Zebah and Zalmunna, I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.' 8Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9So he said also to the men of Penuel, 'When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.'
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire army of the people of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen. 11Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire army.
13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth and said, 'Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’?' 16Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, 'Where were the men whom you killed at Tabor?' But they said, 'You and they were alike, each one resembling the son of a king.' 19And he said, 'They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.' 20So he said to Jether his firstborn, 'Rise, kill them.' But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, 'Rise up yourself, and attack us; for as the man, so is his strength.' So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent amulets which were on their camels’ necks.
22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, 'Rule over us, both you and your son, your son’s son as well, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian!' 23But Gideon said to them, 'I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.' 24Yet Gideon said to them, 'I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.' (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25And they said, 'We will certainly give them to you.' So they spread out a garment, and every one of them tossed an earring there from his plunder. 26The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets, the ear pendants, and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the neck chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah; but all Israel committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
28So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again committed infidelity with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34So the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had saved them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal ( that is, Gideon) in accordance with all the good that he had done for Israel.
Christian Standard Bible

1The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?" And they argued with him violently.
2So he said to them, "What have I done now compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided.
4Gideon and the three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit. 5He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some loaves of bread to the troops under my command, because they are exhausted, for I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?"
7Gideon replied, "Very well, when the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will tear your flesh with thorns and briers from the wilderness!" 8He went from there to Penuel and asked the same thing from them. The men of Penuel answered just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower!"
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about fifteen thousand men, who were all those left of the entire army of the Qedemites. Those who had been killed were one hundred twenty thousand armed men. 11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army felt secure. 12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army.
13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres. 14He captured a youth from the men of Succoth and interrogated him. The youth wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth. 15Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You taunted me about them, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your power that we should give bread to your exhausted men?’" 16So he took the elders of the city, and he took some thorns and briers from the wilderness, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "They were like you," they said. "Each resembled the son of a king."
19So he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother! As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." 20Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Get up and kill them." The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth.
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Get up and strike us down yourself, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian."
23But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you." 24Then he said to them, "Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder." Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.
25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a cloak, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. 26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was forty-three pounds of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels. 27Gideon made an ephod from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
28So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat. The land had peace for forty years during the days of Gideon. 29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house.
30Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. 31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32Then Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God who had rescued them from the hand of the enemies around them. 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
New Living Translation

1Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, 'Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?' And they argued heatedly with Gideon.
2But Gideon replied, 'What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even the leftover grapes of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer? 3God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?' When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, their anger subsided.
4Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy. 5When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, 'Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.'
6But the officials of Succoth replied, 'Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.'
7So Gideon said, 'After the Lord gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness.'
8From there Gideon went up to Peniel and again asked for food, but he got the same answer. 9So he said to the people of Peniel, 'After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.'
10By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors — all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed. 11Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise. 12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors.
13After this, Gideon returned from the battle by way of Heres Pass. 14There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town. 15Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, 'Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, ‘Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.’' 16Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness. 17He also tore down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town.
18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, 'The men you killed at Tabor — what were they like?' 'Like you,' they replied. 'They all had the look of a king’s son.'
19They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!' Gideon exclaimed. 'As surely as the Lord lives, I wouldn’t kill you if you hadn’t killed them.'
20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, 'Kill them!' But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid.
21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 'Be a man! Kill us yourself!' So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.
22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, 'Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.'
23But Gideon replied, 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you! 24However, I do have one request — that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.' (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.)
25Gladly!' they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder. 26The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.
27Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.
28That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime — about forty years — there was peace in the land.
29Then Gideon son of Joash returned home. 30He had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives. 31He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech. 32Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer.
33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god. 34They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. 35Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel.
King James Version

1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. 4And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. 12And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 14And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. 15And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. 19And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks. 22Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you. 24And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. 27And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 28Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. 29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 34And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
New King James Version

1Now the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
2So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
4When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. 5Then he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6And the leaders of Succoth said, “ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”
7So Gideon said, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!” 8Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!”
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt secure. 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. 14And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, ‘ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” 16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
19Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 24Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.
25So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 26Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
28Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32Now Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. 34Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.

What does Judges chapter 8 mean?

Gideon is not content to allow any of the fleeing Midianite army to escape (Judges 7:19–23). He wants total victory and will chase the fleeing remnant led by the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna.

First, the men of Ephraim confront Gideon. In response to his call, they captured and killed two commanders of Midian. They seem upset they weren't asked to participate in the earliest attack, in the Valley of Jezreel. Gideon cools their fury with flattery: suggesting they have done more to bring victory over Midian than he has. Gideon also implies that their tribe is far more prestigious than his clan (Judges 6:15), so they have no reason to worry about their reputation (Judges 8:1–3).

Next, Gideon and his 300 men (Judges 7:8) cross the Jordan River to pursue the escaping Midianites. Exhausted, they come to the Israelite town of Succoth. Sadly, the people of the town refuse to provide bread to Gideon's men. They are afraid Gideon will fail and Midian will retaliate. Gideon promises to return after his victory and punish the men of Succoth. He hints at "thrashing" them with wilderness plants for their disloyalty to Israel. The same refusal to help happens down the road at the town of Penuel. Gideon declares he will return to tear down their defensive tower. Both towns act more favorably to their oppressors than to their own people, and Gideon intends to make examples of them (Judges 8:4–9).

The Hebrew term for "thousand," 'eleph, is also used for a clan or division. Scripture indicates that only 15 'eleph are left of Midian's forces, after 120 'eleph have already fallen. Some commentators suggest "divisions" is a better translation in these passages. Among the reasons is that an army of 135,000 men would have been among the largest in the entire ancient world—exceeding those of nations like Egypt and Greece. The exact numbers are not as important as the fact that Gideon's army is outrageously smaller than his enemy, and yet they rout them, once again. Overtaking the remnant, Gideon and his men catch them by surprise. Once again, the Midianites panic and are defeated by a small number of Israelites. Zebah and Zalmunna run for their lives but are quickly captured (Judges 8:10–12).

Instead of celebrating, or returning directly home, Gideon makes good on his threats to the towns that rejected his cause. He takes a particular path to reach Succoth, apparently being discreet so the visit is unexpected. He forces a young man from the town to list all the elders and officials. In what would have been a public humiliation, Gideon has these leaders flailed with switches embedded with briers and thorns, just as he said he would. The English phrase used in translations of this incident is apt: Gideon "taught the men of Succoth a lesson" (Judges 8:13–16).

Consequences are more dire for the town of Penuel. Gideon promised to tear down their tower, so there would have been no reason for him to arrive by stealth—his target cannot run away, as the men of Succoth might have. It seems likely the men of the town resisted. Gideon never threatened to kill anyone from Penuel, yet here "the men" are casualties. If the townspeople fought back against Gideon's punishment, bloodshed would have been likely (Judges 8:17).

Finally, Gideon confronts the captured kings of Midian. This most likely happens further into Israeli territory. Gideon challenges the two men for a specific crime: murdering some men at Mount Tabor. In a shocking revelation, it seems those men were Gideon's own brothers. Gideon then orders his young son to kill the kings. However, Jether is not a soldier, and has never killed before. He is afraid to execute the men in front of a crowd. The kings taunt Gideon to do his own dirty work, which he does, taking spoils from their supplies (Judges 8:18–21).

The people of Israel offer Gideon a throne. They ask him to become their ruler, a role to be passed along to his son and grandsons. He rightly refuses, insisting that the Lord rules over Israel. However, Gideon then proceeds to act very much like a king. He asks for the characteristic gold earrings collected from the enemy. Depending on the exact size of an ancient shekel, the tribute adds up to as much as 71 pounds, or 19.6 kilograms, of gold. This would be enough to make a solid bar roughly the size of a liter or quart container. With this and the spoils taken from the kings of Midian, Gideon is now a wealthy man (Judges 8:22–26).

What Gideon does next is difficult to understand. He uses some of the gold given in tribute and makes an "ephod." In most contexts, an 'ephowd was a shirt-like garment associated with priestly duties (Exodus 28:6). The same word was also used more generally for religious items or icons. He installs this item in his hometown of Ophrah. The ephod becomes an idol, worshipped by Israel. Its existence causes some harm for Gideon in his family; the "snare" mentioned is likely something beyond the temptation to idolatry. Despite this strange failure, Israel remains at rest and free from their enemies for forty years (Judges 8:27–28).

During his last forty years, Gideon uses his wealth and influence to build an enormous family. With his many wives, he has seventy sons. Also, he takes a concubine who appears to be a Canaanite, from the Canaanite town of Shechem. Against God's law, Gideon has a son with her (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). The child is named Abimelech, literally meaning "the king is my father." This son will be involved in terrible bloodshed after Gideon's death (Judges 8:29–32).

When Gideon dies, the people of Israel immediately dive deeply into worship of Canaanite deities, called Baals. Scripture uses the term zanah to describe this practice. The word is also used for fornication and adultery; it implies something shameful, degrading, and immoral. The English term "whoring" is shocking, but it captures the sense of how God sees the sin of idolatry. Once again, the people of Israel set aside their God (Judges 8:33–34).

The end of this passage also notes how Israel's love for Gideon did not extend to his descendants. After he dies, the people seem to turn away from his sons and wives. This might have been part of what motivates Abimelech, son of Gideon's concubine, to his terrible acts in the next chapter (Judges 8:35).
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