Judges 8:1-6

Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1 ¹Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they accused him fiercely.

2 And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not ²the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

3 ³God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?"⁴Then their anger^[a] against him subsided when he said this.

4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and ⁵the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing.

5 So he said to the men of ⁶Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

6 And the officials of Succoth said, ⁷"Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, ⁸that we should give bread to your army?"

Read Chapter Compare

Judges 8:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 8

In this chapter we are told how Gideon pacified the Ephraimites, who complained because they were not sent unto to fight the Midianites, Jud 8:1-3 how he pursued the Midianites, until he took their two kings, and on his return chastised the men of Succoth and Penuel, because they refused to relieve his men with food as they were pursuing, Jud 8:4-17 how he slew the two kings of Midian, Jud 8:18-21 and after this conquest refused to take the government of Israel when offered him, Jud 8:22,23 how he requested of the Israelites the earrings they had taken from the Midianites, with which he in weakness made an ephod, which proved a snare to his house, Jud 8:24-27 how that the people were in peace forty years during his life, and that he had a numerous issue, and died in a good old age, Jud 8:28-32 but that after his death the Israelites fell into idolatry, and were ungrateful to his family, Jud 8:33-35.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Videos for Judges 8:1-6

What Does the Story of Gideon Teach Us about the Role of Modern Christians?

Cross References 8

1. [Judges 12:1; 2 Samuel 19:41]
2. Isaiah 24:13; Jeremiah 49:9; Obadiah 5; Micah 7:1
3. Judges 7:24, 25
4. [Proverbs 15:1]
5. Judges 7:6
6. Genesis 33:17; Psalms 60:6
7. [1 Kings 20:11]
8. [1 Samuel 25:11]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew their spirit

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.