Judges 8
8
Two Kings, Zebah and Zalmunna
1The men of Ephraim # 8:1 Ephraim, the strongest and largest of the northern tribes, resented that a smaller tribe near their territory went into battle without them. Their pride had been wounded, and now they were jealous. got into a heated argument with Gideon and complained to him, “Why didn’t you tell us you were going to fight the Midianites? Why did you do that to us?”
2Gideon replied, “What have I accomplished compared to you? What your tribe did is worth so much more than what my whole clan has done. # 8:2 Or “Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?” This is a figure of speech, or proverb, meant to assuage the anger of the Ephraimites. Gideon was telling them that their mop-up operation was more effective than what Gideon and his army did. 3After all, through the power of God, you killed both Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done compared with you?” After he said this, they calmed down and were no longer so angry. # 8:3 See Prov. 15:1.
4Totally exhausted, Gideon and his three hundred men crossed the river Jordan and continued to pursue the enemy. # 8:4 Meditate on this sentence. You may be weary, but God chose you to be one of his servants. May we continue to pursue all that God has for us until we experience ultimate victory. 5When they arrived at Succoth, # 8:5 Succoth is identified with Tell Deir ʿAllah in the Jordan Valley. he said to the men of the town, “Please give my men some loaves of bread. They are exhausted, and I am still pursuing the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna.” # 8:5 Zebah means “victim,” and Zalmunna means “protection denied” or “shade denied.”
6But the leaders of Succoth replied, “Why should we give any food to your army? You haven’t even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”
7So Gideon said, “All right! Since you won’t help me, # 8:7 See Deut. 23:3–4; cf. Matt. 25:34–40. when Yahweh has handed them over to me, I’ll whip you with thorns and briars from the desert!” 8Gideon went on to Penuel and made the same request of the people there, but the men of Penuel gave him the same reply as the men of Succoth. 9So he informed them, “I’ll come back victoriously, and when I do, I will tear your tower down!” # 8:9 Penuel was a fortress city, and its citizens relied on their strong tower to protect them. See 1 Kings 12:25.
10Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor # 8:10 Karkor means “battering down.” It was east of the Dead Sea. with an army of fifteen thousand men who survived, for one hundred twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had already been killed. 11Gideon followed the desert trail of the nomads east of Nobah # 8:11 The city of Nobah is also known as Kenath (see Num. 32:42). Nobah means “to bark.” Scholars identify it as modern Qanawat, on the western slope of Jebel ed-Druze. and Jogbehah, # 8:11 Jogbehah means “he will be exalted.” surprised the enemy’s army, and ambushed them. 12The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, escaped, but Gideon pursued and captured them, and terrified what remained of the Midianite army.
13While Gideon son of Joash was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, # 8:13 Heres means “sun.” 14he captured a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for Gideon the names of the seventy-seven leading men of Succoth. 15Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “You mocked me, refused to help me, and said that you couldn’t give any food to my exhausted army because I had not yet captured Zebah and Zalmunna. Well, here they are!” 16As he had promised, Gideon took desert thorns and briars and whipped # 8:16 Or “threshed.” the leaders of Succoth. 17As for Penuel, # 8:17 Penuel (or Peniel) means “face of God.” Jacob wrestled the Angel of Yahweh at Penuel (see Gen. 32:30–31 and first footnote on Gen. 32:30). Gideon tore down its tower and killed the men of that city.
18Then Gideon asked the kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, “What can you tell me about the men you killed at Tabor?” # 8:18 This is not Mount Tabor in the north, but perhaps the location unspecified in 6:2.
They answered, “They looked just like you. Every one of them looked like the son of a king.”
19Gideon said, “They were my brothers, my own mother’s sons. I swear, as surely as Yahweh lives, that if you had let them live, I would let you live.” 20Then he turned to Jether, # 8:20 Jether (a variant form of Jethro) means “excellence.” his firstborn son, and said, “Go ahead, kill them now!” But the boy wouldn’t do it. He didn’t draw his sword because he was still only a timid boy.
21Then Zebah and Zalmunna taunted Gideon, “Come on, kill us yourself. It takes a man to do a man’s job.” # 8:21 Or “strength comes with manhood.” So Gideon executed them and plundered the crescent ornaments that hung on the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Ephod
22After that, the Israelites said to Gideon, “You’re our war hero! You’re the one who saved us from the Midianites. You be our ruler! Then your son will rule after you, and then your grandson.”
23Gideon answered, “No. Neither I nor my son will be your ruler. Yahweh is to be your only King. 24However, I do have one request,” Gideon added. “Give me all the gold earrings you took from the Midianites.” (It was the custom of the Midianites to wear gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25The people answered, “Gladly. They’re yours!” They spread out a cloth, and each one placed on it the earrings they had taken as plunder. 26Gideon received gold earrings that weighed seventeen hundred shekels, # 8:26 That is, about forty-three pounds of gold. not including the crescent ornaments, necklaces, and fine purple robes of the kings of Midian, nor the ornamental collars taken from the necks of their camels. 27Gideon used all this plunder to make a sacred golden ephod. # 8:27 The ephod was a decorated priestly vestment, somewhat like a full-length apron (see Ex. 28:4, 6–8, 31–32). The ephod was a means of discerning God’s will, but ephods are also mentioned as objects of idolatrous worship (see Judg. 17:5; 18:14; cf. Hos. 3:4). It is likely that Gideon’s ephod became an idol to the people, and they would come to seek oracles before it (see 1 Sam. 2:28; 23:6, 9; 30:7). The ark of glory and the tabernacle stood at Shiloh at this time (see Josh. 18:1), the place Yahweh had chosen as the place of worship for Israel. Instead, Gideon’s ephod turned their hearts away from the true worship of Yahweh. Gideon refused kingship because he wanted priesthood. Perhaps the ephod of Aaron was now worn out and needed to be replaced. Gideon may have meant well, but the ephod became a snare for him and all Israel. Good intentions must never be a substitute for obedience. He put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah, and all Israel strayed from Yahweh and gave over their hearts # 8:27 Or “prostituted themselves.” to the golden ephod. It was a seducing snare for Gideon and his family.
28So Israel defeated Midian, who never troubled them again. # 8:28 Or “they raised their heads no more.” The land had peace for forty years until Gideon died.
The Death of Gideon
29Gideon, the Baal-Fighter, son of Joash, returned to his own home and lived there. 30Because he had many wives, Gideon fathered seventy sons. 31In addition, he took a concubine in Shechem. She bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah, a town of the clan of Abiezer. 33No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again abandoned the true God and worshiped # 8:33 Or “they prostituted themselves with the gods of Baal.” the images of Baal. They made Baal-Berith # 8:33 Or “Baal [lord]-of-the-covenant.” their god 34and no longer remembered Yahweh their God, who had saved them from all their enemies on every side. 35The Israelites failed to demonstrate loyal love to the family of Gideon, the Baal-Fighter, for all the good that he had done for them.
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Judges 8: TPT
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