Judges 8:13-23

13 When Gid'on the son of Yo'ash returned from the battle by way of the Heres Pass,

14 he captured a young man from Sukkot and asked him about the chiefs and leaders of Sukkot; he wrote down for him the names of seventy-seven of them.

15 Then he came to the people of Sukkot and said: "You insulted me when you said, 'You haven't captured Zevach and Tzalmuna yet, so why should we give bread to your exhausted men?' Well, here are Zevach and Tzalmuna!"

16 And he took the leaders of the city and desert thorns and thistles, and used them to teach the people of Sukkot a lesson!

17 He also broke down the tower of P'nu'el and put the men of the city to death.

18 Then he said to Zevach and Tzalmuna, "Tell me about the men you killed at Tavor." They answered, "They looked like you, like a king's sons."

19 Gid'on replied, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As surely as ADONAI is alive, I swear that if you had spared them, I would not kill you."

20 Then he ordered his oldest son, Yeter, "Get up, and kill them!" But the boy didn't draw his sword; being still a boy, he was afraid.

21 Then Zevach and Tzalmuna said, "You, do it. You, kill us. Let a grown man do what takes a grown man's strength." So Gid'on got up and killed Zevach and Tzalmuna; then he took the ornamental crescents from around their camels' necks.

22 The men of Isra'el said to Gid'on: "Rule over us, you, your son and your grandson, because you saved us from the power of Midyan.

23 Gid'on replied, "Neither I nor my son will rule over you; ADONAI will rule over you."

Judges 8:13-23 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.