Judges 8:7

7 Gideon replied, "Very well, when the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will trample^[a] your flesh on thorns and briers from the wilderness!"

Judges 8:7 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:7

And Gideon said
In answer to the princes of Succoth:

therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine
hand;
of which he made no doubt, having the promise of God that he would deliver the host of Midian into his hand, on which his faith rested; and having it in great part performed already, most firmly believed the full performance of it, see ( Judges 7:7 Judges 7:9 )

then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with
briers;
which grew in a wilderness near this city, and from whence as Kimchi thinks, it had its name; the word "Succoth" being used for thorns in ( Job 41:7 ) and the sense is, either that he would scourge them with thorns and briers; or, as the Targum thrust their flesh upon them; which Kimchi interprets of casting their naked bodies upon thorns and briers, and then treading on them with the feet; or draw a cart over them as they thus lay, in like manner as it was usual to do when corn was threshed out; see ( Isaiah 28:27 ) .

Judges 8:7 In-Context

5 He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some loaves of bread to the people who are following me, because they are exhausted, for I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

6 But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?"

7 Gideon replied, "Very well, when the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will trample your flesh on thorns and briers from the wilderness!"

8 He went from there to Penuel and asked the same thing from them. The men of Penuel answered just as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or tear