The Book of Judges
Judges 8
Chapter VIII · Vol. II, pp. 598–600
1 Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 4 Succoth and Penuel refuse to relieve Gideon's army. 10 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. 13 Succoth and Penuel are chastised. 18 Gideon revengeth his brethren's death on Zebah and Zalmunna. 22 He refuseth the government which the people offer him. 24 His ephod the cause of idolatry. 28 Midian subdued. 29 Gideon's children, and death. 33 The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude.
1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, aWhy 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.
a Heb. What thing is this thou hast done unto us? ch.12.1. 2 Sa.19.41. Job 5.2. Ec.4.4. Pr.21.23,24.
2 And he said unto them, bWhat have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?1
3 Godc 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 anger2 was abated toward him when he had said that.
c 2 Ch.20.17. Ps.44.3; 115.1; 118.10-16. ch.7.24,25.
2 Heb. spirit.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan,3 and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, dfaint, yet pursuing them.
3 Having completed the narrative of the victory gained by the Ephraimites, the historian goes back in the order of time to bring up the story of Gideon.—P.
d 1 Sa.30.10. 2 Co.4.8,9. Ps.37.24.
5 And he said unto the men of eSuccoth, Give, I pray you, floaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, gAre the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
g 1 Ki.20.11. 1 Sa.25.10,11. ch.5.23. Phi.2.21. Pr.18.23; 21.23,24.
7 And Gideon said, Therefore, when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear4 your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.5
4 Heb. thrash.
5 It is most probable the idea of tearing, or rather of thrashing them with thorns and briers, arose from looking at the lacerated bodies of his weary army. But had Gideon a right to utter the threat or inflict the punishment? Yes, if justly deserved; for he was divinely appointed, like Joshua, to the supreme power, and the Succothites were guilty of a gross breach of the law, in refusing bread to a hungry brother.—C.
8 And he went up thence to hPenuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
A.M. 2792 B.C. 1212
h Ge.32.30. 1 Ki.12.25. ver.6.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I icome again in peace, I will break down this tower.6
i ver. 7. 1 Ki. 22. 27, 28.
6 See note on ver. 7.—C.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor,7 and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for kthere fell an hundred and twenty thousand men8 that drew sword.9
7 A place about the south-east border of the Gadites or Reubenites.
k ch.7.12,22; 20.2,15,46. 2 Sa.24.9. 2 Ki.3.26.
8 Or, an hundred and twenty thousand, every one drawing a sword.
9 Karkor never occurs elsewhere as the name of a place. It signifies rest, and the meaning seems to be, that the army had bivouacked, and was suddenly surprised. Persons accustomed to European armies can scarcely think that so great a multitude of soldiers could have been congregated, or so many slain. Let such recollect, however, that amongst the nomades of Midian, &c., every full-grown man was a soldier, and that Xerxes led a million of men against the petty states of Greece, who, under that Providence that was preparing for the downfall of the Persian, and elevation of the Grecian empire, were likewise routed by a handful of Greeks, as Midian by 300 Israelites.—C.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the least of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was msecure.
l Nu.32.35,42.
m ch.18.27. 1 Sa.15.32. 1 Th.5.3.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and ntook the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and 1discomfited all the host.
n Ps.83.11,12. Am.2.14. Re.6.15,16.
1 Heb. terrified.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And ocaught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him:2 and he described3 unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
o ch.1.24,25. 1 Sa.30.11-15.
2 Gideon here exhibits a striking instance of true political wisdom and religious principle. Political wisdom directs punishment for correction and example. But false or worldly policy would have punished indiscriminately the whole town. True policy, being subjected to religious principle, pauses, inquires, discriminates, and punishes only the guilty.—C.
3 Heb. writ. This chastisement of the rulers of Succoth and Penuel was justly due to their haughty, unbrotherly, and barbarous conduct.
15 And 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?
16 And phe took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught4 the men of Succoth.
17 And he qbeat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the rmen of the city.5
q 1 Ki.12.25. ver.9.
r ver.14,16. 2 Sa.20.20, i.e. the elders.
5 We are not informed what aggravation of the stated offence drew down this severity; but there can be no reason to doubt, that one who had so carefully distinguished the guilty from the innocent at Succoth, must have had good reason for this severity at Penuel.—C.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at sTabor? And they answered, tAs thou art, so were they; each one 6resembled the children of a king.
19 And 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.7
A.M. 2792 B.C. 1212
7 The Midianites were brethren to the Hebrews, being the descendants of Abraham, and called Ishmaelites, ver. 24, from being commingled with them; and were therefore not included under the sentence against Canaan. Those princes, however, suffer justly, for they were not merely robbers, but self-convicted murderers.—C.
20 And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up,u and slay them: but the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, xRise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. yAnd Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.8
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, zRule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also;9 for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, aI will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
a 1 Sa. 8. 6,7; 10. 19; 11.12. ch. 2. 16. 1 Co 7.20-24. 2 Co.1.24. 1 Pe.5.3.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would bgive me every man the ear-rings1 of his prey: (for they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
b Ex.32.4; 12.35. Ge.24.22; 37.25; 16.10,11. 1 Pe.3.3.4.
1 The Hebrew nezem may signify a nose-jewel or an ear-ring, or simply a ring of any kind. The Arabs, especially Arab women, wear large quantities of ornaments, some of great weight and value. They also decorate the necks and trappings of their horses and dromedaries with valuable ornaments.—P.
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold[≈ 19 kg · 43 lb · gold worth ≈ US$2.5 million],2 besides ornaments, and collars,3 and purple raiment, that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.
2 Estimating the shekel at half an ounce, the whole amount of gold is 73 lbs. 4 oz., worth about £3300.—'Ornaments'—the same word is applied to the ornamental part of the camels' furniture, ver. 21.—'Collars,' translated in the margin 'sweet jewels,' and by some supposed to mean smelling-bottles, or other depositories for perfume—an interpretation not improbable.—C.
3 Or, sweet jewels.
27 And Gideon cmade an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah;4 and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
4 God had commanded an altar to be built at Ophrah; Gideon, without order from God, now makes an ephod, which, from considering the conduct of Micah, ch. 17. 5, 12, and of the Danites, ch. 17. 30, suggests the idea of a priesthood, and worship, and sacrifices organized by Gideon, contrary to the divine order, which confined them to one place, which, in the meantime, was Shiloh.—Note, Whatever apparently plausible and pious reasons may be assigned for forms and acts of will-worship, they always become a snare to the heart. The sight of an image or painting may excite strong emotion; but it is an emotion which finally associates with the image or the picture, and puts them, in some manner, into the place of God. Will-worship is literally a snare—it takes the soul captive where it expects no danger.—C.
c Is.8.20. Ro.10.2. Ga.4.18. Ex.28.6-8; 23.33. 1 Sa.23.9,10. ch.17.6. ver.33. De.7.16.
28 Thus dwas Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more: and the country was in quietness eforty years in the days of Gideon.
d Is.9.4; 10.26; 41.14-16. Ps.83.9-12.
e ch.3.11,30; 5.31. See the note on ch.3.11.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash fwent and dwelt in his own house.
f Ne.5.14,15.
31 And his hconcubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he 6called Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash idied7 in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in kOphrah of the Abi-ezrites.
33 And it came to pass, las soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went ma whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.8
l Jos.24.31. 2 Ki.12.2. ch.2.7,10,11. 2 Ch.24.17,18.
m Ex.34.15,16. Je.3.9. Ho.2.16. Ja.4.4.
8 Baal-berith signifies 'covenant Baal,' or 'Baal of the covenant,' i.e. Baal as a god with whom the people had entered into covenant. His worship was established at Shechem, and it may therefore be inferred that his worship was an imitation of the worship of Jehovah, with whom the Israelites had made a covenant in the time of Joshua at this very place. Now in their miserable infatuation, instead of keeping their solemn covenant with Jehovah, they set up Baal in his place.—P
34 And the children of Israel nremembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 Neithero showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.
o ch.9.5,16-18,24,56. Ec.9.14,15.
Notes
[Ver. 3. The Midianites were under four chiefs. When the camp was surprised by Gideon the vast multitude rushed down the valley of Jezreel to the Jordan, and made for the fords of the river. Gideon, with his handful of men, could not prevent their passage. But he sent swift messengers to the Ephraimites, who were probably collected in their mountains, just above the fords of the Jordan, to watch the results of the struggle. The moment they heard the tidings they rushed down into the valley. By the time they gained the fords the two principal chiefs had already crossed; but two lesser chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb, were still on the west bank. They were captured and slain. Gideon had passed over, probably at a ford higher up, in pursuit of the other chiefs of Midian. The Ephraimites overtook him and presented to him the heads of Oreb and Zeeb. It was then the remonstrance was addressed to Gideon, and his able reply given. P.]
Ver. 4. [Faint, yet pursuing them. Duty, when justly appreciated, is always a pleasure; but in many cases the pain and toil of duty are grievous to flesh and blood. The conduct of Gideon's army is the true measure for performance of a difficult duty, in which the believer is faint, yet pursuing, Ga. 6. 9. C.]
Ver. 8. [The origin of this name, and the position of the place, are given in the remarkable narrative in Ge. 32. 24, sq. Peniel was on the north bank of the Jabbok. The route taken by the fleeing host after crossing the fords at Succoth was up the glen of the Jabbok, which falls into the Jordan a few miles below Succoth. P.]
Ver. 12. [The Ephraimites joined Gideon immediately after crossing the Jordan. His army, too, was doubtless greatly increased from the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The Midianites were retreating through an enemy's country. Every town and village would endeavour to harass and slay those who had so long tyrannized over the land. This will account for the tremendous slaughter mentioned in ver. 10. It was not till Zebah and Zalmunna, with the shattered remnant of their vast army, had passed the defiles of Gilead and gained the eastern desert that they thought themselves secure. Even thither, however, the fiery Gideon followed them. The site of Karkor, where the final victory was gained, is unknown; but it must have been on the borders of Arabia, east of Bashan. The Midianites were there entirely overthrown, and their two great chiefs captured. Only the leading facts of the story are here given. Isaiah, ch. 9. 4; 10. 26, and the Psalmist, Ps. 73. 9-11, repeatedly allude to details not mentioned in this passage; and show that the victory of Gideon was regarded as one of the most signal triumphs of Israel. P.]
Ver. 16. [Taught the men of Succoth. It is a fact in human nature that few, perhaps none, can be taught anything without privation or suffering. The Succothites needed a severe lesson to rebuke their inhumanity. Still Europeans who have not attended to eastern ideas and customs, will be ready to imagine this infliction much greater than in reality it was. In most European countries corporal punishment implies some kind of degradation, and is chiefly or entirely confined to the most abandoned offenders. In the East, especially in Persia, it carries no idea of degradation, and is inflicted on the highest officer of state as readily as on the lowest menial. C.]
Ver. 19. [The sons of my mother. In a country where polygamy was tolerated, brother did not convey the same endearment as 'son of my mother.' C.]
Ver. 20. [Up and slay them. It may seem strange to European eyes that Gideon should order his son to slay the two princes. But the Hebrews had no public executioner. The witnesses and the people inflicted the sentence of death. Till this day, in the East, where there is a public executioner, it is one of the highest offices of honour; so was the occasional appointment amongst the Hebrews. See 1 Ki. 2. 25, 29, 31, 35. C.]
Ver. 21. [The Hebrew word translated 'ornaments' signifies 'little moons;' i.e. ornaments of gold and silver of crescent form. Such ornaments are to this day universally worn by the nomad tribes of Arabia. The origin of the peculiar shape was doubtless the worship of Astarte, or the moon. The ornaments were dedicated to the goddess, and those who wore them were supposed to be under her protection. P.]
Ver. 28. [The country was in quietness forty years. This is now the third time it has been said, 'The land had rest forty years,' ch. 3. 11; 5. 31, a coincidence so strange that its probability has been questioned. But besides the historic authority, which no mere hypothesis or doubt has a right to call in question, this was the period of 'tentation in the wilderness,' and which God thus repeats to bring, by the association of similarity, his judgments to remembrance. C.]
Reflections.—Only by pride cometh contention. Evil persons are extremely jealous of their carnal honours, and apt to reckon the just exaltation of everybody else an injury done to themselves. It is common for cowards to pretend valour when the danger is over or distant; but humility disposes a man to think meanly of his own works, and to put honour from himself to his neighbour; and meanwhile adds a double lustre to all its gifts, graces, or attainments. Soft words most effectually turn away wrath; nor must we count it strange to be abused by the tongues of those whose lives we have saved at the hazard of our own. Having begun a good work we must go on with it: notwithstanding the most heavy and unnatural discouragements, perseverance will be infallibly crowned with success. The security of sinners most certainly proves their ruin; and it meets them when and where they thought it was quite over; for men's pride brings them low; and the insolence of their tongues renders them miserable.—It is just and proper for magistrates sharply to correct those who are barbarous or abusive: and men's distress often occasions new discoveries of their guilt. Though hand should join in hand sinners shall not pass unpunished. If one agent fear, another will dare to execute the judgment of God upon them It is much better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud. Ambition to exalt one's family is ordinarily a ruinous snare. But it is very dangerous for rulers, in church or state, to humour people in matters of religion, or to indulge their carnal ease or honour in that point. What appears innocent at first may soon become a dangerous snare. Small beginnings of superstition or idolatry lead to still greater abominations: and when God removes the restraints, men will quickly relapse to their wonted or worse idolatries. It is hard to make base minds grateful, either to God or to their human benefactors: but it is easy to decoy them into one form of wickedness after another.
But in this Hebrew judge let Jesus, the great deliverer, be discerned. His condition on earth was mean and debased; his call to his work express, solemn, seasonable, and necessary; and miraculous the repeated confirmations of it. Being the mighty God, and endowed with the Spirit above measure, he, with burning zeal, offered his sacrifice of himself, overthrew idolatry, and restored the true worship of God, beginning in his own country of Judea. By a few weak and unarmed preachers sounding the gospel trumpet and displaying its light and fire from their earthen vessels he did, and shall, foil Satan, the world, and death, with their innumerable agents. And at the last day, being revealed in flaming fire, and attended with the trump of God, he shall spread terror and ruin among all his opposers. Kindly he invites his brethren of mankind to share in his victories, and to follow him that they may divide the spoil. Meekly he convinces and pacifies his un- reasonable friends: but the most righteous judgment he did and will execute upon his despisers, of Judah and of Rome, and upon all such as refuse his people or ministers their necessary supplies.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.