Judges 8:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then 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.”

NIV: The Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us--you, your son and your grandson--because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.'

NASB: Then 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!'

CSB: Then 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."

NLT: Then 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.'

KJV: Then 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.

NKJV: Then 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.”

The Midianite army and their allies have been thoroughly defeated, wiped out by Gideon and his 300 warriors (Judges 7:8) by the power of God (Judges 8:10–12). The victory is fully completed with the execution of two murdering kings (Judges 8:18–21).

Now representatives of Israel approach Gideon with an offer. They ask him to become the first leader of a family dynasty that will continue through his sons and grandsons. The nation asks Gideon to become their permanent leader. The Hebrew term for a king, melek, is not mentioned. But the description is exactly that.

This is not a senseless offer. The Israelites recognize what has been accomplished under Gideon's leadership. They can also see the benefits of having some form of leadership, rather than the randomness and chaos which made Israel so weak against Midianite raiders (Judges 6:1–5). In the afterglow of great victory, the people can think of no one better to lead than Gideon, after what he has done. Gideon previously described himself as the least member of a weak clan (Judges 6:15). To now be offered a kingship must have been an unimaginable honor.

Still, Gideon recognizes that this offer misunderstands what has been accomplished. The people of Israel are giving him credit for saving them, rather than giving that glory to the Lord (Judges 7:15). God winnowed Gideon's original army down to a task force of 300 men because He did not want Israel to conclude they had saved themselves (Judges 7:2). God's intent was for the people to recognize divine providence. Instead, they seem to conclude that Gideon is the crucial piece of their victory.

This means Israel's offer is not only driven by emotion, rather than reason, it's also unspiritual. Gideon will refuse to participate in this error—at least officially. Yet his actions unfortunately contribute to Israel's continued addiction to idols (Judges 8:27).

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).