Judges 8:17-27

17 1And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you killed at 2Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king."
19 And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. 3As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."
20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise and kill them!" But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and 4killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took 5the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Gideon's Ephod

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian."
23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; 6the LORD will rule over you."
24 And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, 7because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels[a] of gold, besides 8the crescent ornaments and 9the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.
27 And Gideon 10made an ephod of it and put it in his city, 11in Ophrah. And all Israel 12whored after it there, and it became a 13snare to Gideon and to his family.

Judges 8:17-27 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.

Cross References 13

  • 1. [1 Kings 12:25]
  • 2. [Judges 4:6]
  • 3. See Ruth 3:13
  • 4. Psalms 83:11
  • 5. ver. 26; Isaiah 3:18
  • 6. [1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 12:12, 17, 19]
  • 7. [Gen. 37:25, 28, 36; Genesis 39:1]
  • 8. ver. 21
  • 9. Isaiah 3:19
  • 10. Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14, 17; See Exodus 28:6-35
  • 11. Judges 6:24
  • 12. ver. 33; Judges 2:17; Exodus 34:15; Psalms 106:39
  • 13. Exodus 23:33; Deuteronomy 7:16

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.