Judges 8:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.

NIV: They 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.

NASB: And 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.

CSB: They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a cloak, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it.

NLT: Gladly!' they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder.

KJV: And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

NKJV: So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.

Gideon sensibly turned down his countrymen's request that he become their ruler (Judges 8:22–23). Instead, he insisted the Lord would rule them (Joshua 24:15–18). However, there is no indication that Gideon reminded the people of God's role in the victory (Judges 7:2). Instead, he asked those who had battled against the Midianites to give him earrings, as a tribute payment for his leadership. This is the kind of thing expected from a ruler. Gideon seems to be giving the people mixed messages about whether he is assuming command over the nation.

One of the benefits of war in many eras, including this one, was collecting "spoils" from the enemy. This is catch-all term includes things captured or recovered by individual soldiers through battle. The Midianites may have been especially well outfitted, meaning that the Israelites may have collected small fortunes in the aftermath of the battles. They don't seem to hesitate even for a moment to surrender enemy earrings to Gideon. Each man pays this tribute, of sorts, by tossing the earrings he has collected onto a pile on top of a cloak spread out on the ground. This shows their respect and loyalty towards Gideon.

Judges 8:22–28 begins Israel's plea for Gideon to become their ruler. They offer him a throne that would be passed to his descendants. Gideon refuses, insisting that the Lord will rule over Israel. Instead, Gideon requests tribute from the spoils of battle. He uses some of this to make a religious artifact which he installs in his hometown. Sadly—but in keeping with the pattern of the book of Judges—the people of Israel turn the object into an idol. Gideon and his own family are somehow tangled up in that sin. Still, Israel remains at peace so long as Gideon lives, which is another forty years.

Gideon soothes the anger of the men of Ephraim. Then, with his 300 fighting men, he chases the remnant of the Midianite army. After a difficult pursuit, he finally catches and defeats them in the wilderness. Gideon then returns to two Israelite towns who refused to help him along the way. He flogs the leaders of one town and kills the men of the other. He then executes the captured enemy kings. Gideon collects tribute from Israel but declines to become their official king. He lives to gain seventy sons, many wives, and at least one Canaanite concubine. When Gideon dies, Israel immediately returns to idol worship.

Judges 8 follows the great victory described at the end of the previous chapter. This passage begins with Gideon awkwardly soothing the anger of Ephraimites while trying to chase down an escaping enemy. After capturing the Midianite kings, Gideon punishes two towns for failing to aid their fellow Israelites. Gideon refuses to become a literal king but collects tribute from the people and lives like a king all his days, with many wives and sons. The people return to idol worship after his death. Soon after, the concubine's son, Abimelech, murders Gideon's other sons and briefly rules before meeting a gruesome death.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).