Judges 8:22-28

Gideon’s Ephod

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
24 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.)
25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it.
26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[a] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks.
27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.

Cross References 11

  • 1. S Exodus 16:8; S Numbers 11:20; 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 12:12
  • 2. S Genesis 35:4
  • 3. S Genesis 49:27
  • 4. S Genesis 16:11; Genesis 25:13
  • 5. S ver 21
  • 6. S Exodus 25:7; Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14
  • 7. S Joshua 18:23
  • 8. S Exodus 10:7; Deuteronomy 7:16; Psalms 106:39
  • 9. S Exodus 32:2
  • 10. Psalms 83:2
  • 11. S Judges 3:11; Judges 5:31

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
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