Judges 8:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And 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.)

NIV: And 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.)

NASB: Yet 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.)

CSB: Then 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.

NLT: However, 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.)

KJV: And 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.)

NKJV: Then 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.

Gideon rejected an offer from the people of Israel to rule over them (Judges 8:22). They wanted him to begin a dynasty that will include his sons and grandsons. Yet God's intent was for each person in Israel to submit to His will (Joshua 24:15–18). Therefore, God drastically reduced the number of men in Gideon's main army (Judges 7:2). Israel's rescue (Judges 8:18–21) from Midian's raids (Judges 6:1–5) was to be a clear sign of God's power, not Israel's.

Having passed this test, however, Gideon unfortunately does precisely what many kings do. He leverages his fame and the people's gratitude to serve himself. He asks every man to give him the earrings they have taken from the defeated enemy as spoils of war. The writer explains that Midianites wore earrings because they were Ishmaelites. This would most literally refer to the descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham through Hagar (Genesis 16:1–2, 11–12). Scholars suggest the term was also used to describe anyone from a particular region.

"Spoils" are the materials captured or recovered after victory in battle. It's not clear if Gideon was asking for one earring per person, or if he was asking for all the earrings taken from defeated Midianites. In any case, Gideon's request is that he be paid a sort of tribute for his role as leader during the war. While Gideon has declined to become their ruler, he still asks them to submit payment to him exactly as a king might do.

More troubling is the fact that Gideon is not recorded declaring God's role in the victory. He properly referred to God when speaking about how Israel was to be governed (Judges 8:23). Perhaps he did, in fact, remind the people that God's power is what rescued them. But Judges makes no mention of this; it's notable that there is no record of Gideon deflecting credit for the victory to God. Instead, he asks for tribute from the people. He seems willing to take some credit and see himself as deserving payment as a result.

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).