Judges 8:15-25

15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, '¹Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?' "

16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.

17 ²He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king."

19 He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you."

20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength." ³So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and ⁴took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."

23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; ⁵the LORD shall rule over you."

24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request * of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were ⁶Ishmaelites.)

25 They said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.

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Judges 8:15-25 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

Cross References 6

1. Judges 8:6
2. Judges 8:9
3. Psalms 83:11
4. Judges 8:26
5. 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 12:12; Psalms 10:16
6. Genesis 25:13-16

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "Is the palm"
[b]. Lit "made the men...to know"
[c]. Lit "like the form of the sons"
[d]. Lit "request a request"
[e]. Or "a nose ring"