Judges 8:23-33

23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; ¹the 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 ²Ishmaelites.)

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.

26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 * * shekels of gold, besides * the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides * the neck bands that were on their camels' necks.

27 Gideon made it into ³an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

Forty Years of Peace

28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Then ⁴Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

30 Now Gideon had ⁵seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named * him Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, ⁶that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made ⁷Baal-berith their god.

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Judges 8:23-33 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 7

1. 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 12:12; Psalms 10:16
2. Genesis 25:13-16
3. Exodus 28:6-35; Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14-20
4. Judges 7:1
5. Judges 9:2, 5
6. Judges 2:11, 12
7. Judg 9:4, 27, 46

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "request a request"
[b]. Or "a nose ring"
[c]. Lit "came from his loins"
[d]. Lit "appointed his name"