CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Judges 8
Chapter 8 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in Judges 8
Gideon calms the angry men of Ephraim, punishes towns that refused to help, captures the Midianite kings, and refuses an offer to become king. But he makes a gold religious object that leads Israel astray. After Gideon dies, Israel quickly returns to idol worship.
Scripture
Judges 8
Gideon Calms the Angry Ephraimites
Study note
The tribe of Ephraim was powerful and proud. They were angry that Gideon had not called them to join the battle from the beginning. Gideon wisely calmed them by saying that their accomplishment of capturing the two Midianite princes was far greater than anything his small clan had done. This flattering comparison defused their anger.
1 But the men of Ephraim were furious with Gideon. They confronted him and demanded, "Why did you not send for us when you first went to fight the Midianites? How could you treat us like this?" They argued with him heatedly. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why 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.
2 Gideon calmed them down by saying, "What I accomplished is nothing compared to what you did! The leftover grapes that Ephraim picks are better than the entire harvest of my little clan Abiezer!" And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?
3 "God handed Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite generals, over to you! What did I do that even compares to that?" When Gideon put it that way, their anger faded. God 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 anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
Succoth and Penuel Refuse to Help
Study note
Gideon and his exhausted three hundred men crossed the Jordan chasing the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. When Gideon asked the towns of Succoth and Penuel for food, both refused, mocking him because he had not yet captured the kings. They were hedging their bets, afraid to support Gideon in case he lost. Gideon warned both towns that he would return to punish them.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men crossed the Jordan River. They were completely worn out, but they kept pursuing the enemy. And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 Gideon asked the men of Succoth, "Please give my soldiers some food. They are exhausted, and I am still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings." And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 The leaders of Succoth sneered, "Do you already have Zebah and Zalmunna in chains? Why should we waste our bread on your army?" And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 Gideon warned them. "After the Lord helps me beat Zebah and Zalmunna, I will come back. I will whip you with thorns and briers from the desert." And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 Gideon continued on to Penuel and made the same request for food. The people of Penuel turned him down just like the people of Succoth had. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 Gideon told the men of Penuel, "When I come back victorious, I will tear this tower to the ground." And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Gideon Captures Zebah and Zalmunna
Study note
The Midianite army had been devastated, with 120,000 soldiers already killed. Only 15,000 remained with Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon surprised them with an unexpected attack and captured both kings. He returned and punished Succoth with thorns and briers, and tore down the tower of Penuel. Gideon discovered that Zebah and Zalmunna had killed his own brothers at Tabor. He ordered his young son Jether to kill them, but the boy was too afraid, so Gideon killed them himself.
10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about fifteen thousand troops, the only survivors from all the eastern armies. One hundred and twenty thousand armed warriors had already been killed. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 Gideon took the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah. He caught the enemy army completely off guard because they felt safe and were not expecting an attack. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 Zebah and Zalmunna tried to run, but Gideon chased them down and captured both of them. Their entire army scattered in panic. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 Afterward, Gideon son of Joash headed back from battle by way of the Heres Pass. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 Along the way, he grabbed a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down the names of Succoth's seventy-seven officials and elders for Gideon. And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 Gideon went back to Succoth and confronted the leaders. He said, "Take a good look! Here are Zebah and Zalmunna! You mocked me and said, 'Have you already captured them? Why should we feed your exhausted troops?'" 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 Then Gideon grabbed thorns and briers from the wilderness and used them to punish the elders of Succoth. And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of that city. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then Gideon turned to Zebah and Zalmunna and asked, "Tell me about the men you killed at Mount Tabor. What were they like?" They replied, "They looked a lot like you. Every one of them could have passed for a prince." Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 Gideon said, "Those were my own brothers, my mother's sons. I swear by the living Lord, if you had spared their lives, I would not be killing you now." 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.
20 Gideon turned to his firstborn son Jether and ordered, "Stand up and execute them!" But the boy could not bring himself to draw his sword because he was still young and terrified. And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna taunted Gideon, "Do it yourself. A man's job requires a man's strength." So Gideon stepped forward, killed them both, and took the crescent-shaped ornaments that had hung from their camels' necks. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
Gideon Refuses to Be King but Makes an Ephod
Study note
The Israelites asked Gideon to become their king and establish a dynasty. Gideon wisely replied that neither he nor his sons would rule over them, because the Lord should be their ruler. However, he then asked for gold earrings from the plunder. From this gold, weighing about 43 pounds, he made an ephod, a priestly garment. He placed it in his hometown of Ophrah, and all Israel began to worship it as an idol. This became a trap for Gideon and his family.
22 After this victory, the Israelites came to Gideon and said, "Be our king! You and your son and grandson after you, because you saved us from the Midianites." 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.
23 But Gideon refused. He said, "I will not be your ruler, and neither will my son. The Lord alone will rule over you." And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
24 Then Gideon said, "I only ask one thing: that each of you give me one gold earring from the loot you collected." The defeated soldiers had all worn gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites. 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.)
25 "We would be glad to!" they replied. They laid out a garment on the ground, and every man tossed a gold earring onto it. And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 The gold earrings collected weighed about forty-three pounds. That was on top of all the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple robes that the Midianite kings had worn, and the decorative chains from their camels. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27 Gideon melted the gold down and crafted it into a special priestly garment called an ephod. He put it on display in his hometown of Ophrah. But the Israelites began treating it like an idol and worshipping it there. It became a snare for Gideon and his entire family. 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.
Gideon's Death and Israel's Unfaithfulness
Study note
After the Midianite threat was eliminated, the land enjoyed forty years of peace during Gideon's lifetime. Gideon had seventy sons because he had many wives, and he also had a son named Abimelech by a concubine in Shechem. After Gideon died, Israel immediately returned to worshipping the Baals, particularly Baal-berith. They forgot both God and the kindness Gideon had shown them.
28 After this, Midian was completely defeated and never posed a threat to Israel again. The land was at peace for the forty years that Gideon was alive. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Gideon son of Joash went back to his home and lived a quiet life. And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 He had seventy sons because he had married many wives. And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 He also had a concubine who lived in Shechem, and she had a son for him. Gideon named this boy Abimelech. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very old age. He was buried in his father Joash's family tomb in Ophrah of the Abiezer clan. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
33 The moment Gideon was gone, the Israelites turned right back to the Baals. They chose Baal-berith as their god. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
34 The Israelites completely forgot about the Lord their God. He was the one who had kept them safe from every enemy around them. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 They showed no thanks to Gideon's family. Gideon, also called Jerubbaal, had done so much good for Israel. Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
Key Themes
Themes in Judges 8
Wise diplomacy versus prideful confrontationThe danger of success leading to spiritual compromiseRefusing human kingship in favor of God's ruleHow quickly people forget God after a deliverer dies
Apply This Today
Living Judges 8
Gideon wisely refused to become king, recognizing that God alone should rule Israel. Yet he made an ephod that became an idol. Even spiritual leaders who start well can create stumbling blocks when they mix true worship with human additions. Finishing well requires the same humility and dependence on God that starting well does.
Go Deeper
Study Judges in Covenant Path
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