Judges 8:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And 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.

NIV: Gideon 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.

NASB: Gideon 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.

CSB: Gideon 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.

NLT: Gideon 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.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: Then 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.

Scripture does not explain Gideon's exact motivation for making a golden ephod. The result was disastrous. The object was worshiped by the people of Israel, as an idol. The bible applies a sharp, harsh term: zanah, used for things like fornication and prostitution. In a common spiritual metaphor, the people are said to have "whored" after the object. Their worship of it was unfaithfulness to God, as much as adultery is unfaithfulness to a spouse. Idolatry is as self-debasing as a person selling their body for someone else's sexual use. The English word "whore" evokes a distasteful response, and idolatry is similarly disgusting to the Lord.

The term used in this passage doesn't clearly explain what, exactly, the object Gideon created looked like. In the Law, God had directed Israel to use an 'ephowd as part of worship. In that context, an "ephod" was a shirt-like garment worn by the high priest in his ceremonial duties (Exodus 28:6). However, ephods were also used in the worship of false gods in Egypt and other parts of Mesopotamia. In contexts other than the worship of the God of Israel, the term might have been used generically for sacred objects. The passage gives no further details about which of the two meanings is in mind.

Also unclear is whether the ephod was made of solid gold or made with golden threads. In either case, Gideon may have used it as a kind of oracle for seeking guidance from Israel's God or other false deities. The ephods of Israel's priests were associated with objects called Urim and Thummim, which somehow involved determining God's will (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 14:41).

From the perspective of a modern reader, it might be surprising to realize Gideon has not entirely given up worship of other gods alongside the one true God. He sets up his ephod in his hometown of Ophrah, just as idols to Baal and Asherah had been found on his father's land (Judges 6:25–27). Gideon's influence turns this religious icon into an object of worship for the entire nation.

For all he has accomplished by faithfully following God, Gideon is the only judge recorded as leading Israel into acts of false worship and betrayal of the Lord. This comes with a price. In some way, the ephod becomes a "snare" for Gideon and his family. No details about that are provided; this might simply mean that they were caught up in idolatrous worship. It might also mean that owning the ephod brought strife and controversy into Gideon's home. The next chapter details the sordid, ugly experiences of Gideon's children (Judges 9:1–5).

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).