Judges 8:10

10 Forsooth Zebah and Zalmunna rested with all their host; for fifteen thousand men (were) left of all the companies of the peoples of the east, when an hundred and twenty thousand of fighters and of men drawing out sword were slain. (And Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army; and fifteen thousand men were all who were left of the companies of the peoples of the east, for a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men drawing out swords had been killed.)

Judges 8:10 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:10

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor.
&c.] Jerom ^F21 under this word says, there was in his time a castle called Carcuria, a day's journey from Petra, which was the metropolis of Idumea; but whether the same with this is not clear:

and their host with them, about fifteen thousand men;
to which number Gideon and his three hundred men were very unequal; and yet, faint and weary as they were, closely pursued them, attacked and conquered them. Josephus ^F23 very wrongly makes this number to be about 18,000:

all that were left of the hosts of the children of the east;
the Arabians, who with the Amalekites joined the Midianites in this expedition; and perhaps the remainder of the army chiefly consisted of Arabians, the others having mostly suffered in the valley of Jezreel, and at the fords of Jordan:

for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword;
besides infirm men, women, and children, which may reasonably be supposed; so that this host consisted of 135,000 fighting men.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 De loc. Heb. fol. 90. B.
F23 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect. 5.

Judges 8:10 In-Context

8 And Gideon went up from thence, and came into Penuel; and he spake like things to men of that place, to whom also they answered, as the men of Succoth had answered (and they answered him just like the men of Succoth had answered him).

9 And so he said to them, When I shall turn again (as an) overcomer in peace (When I shall return to you in victory), I shall destroy this tower.

10 Forsooth Zebah and Zalmunna rested with all their host; for fifteen thousand men (were) left of all the companies of the peoples of the east, when an hundred and twenty thousand of fighters and of men drawing out sword were slain. (And Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army; and fifteen thousand men were all who were left of the companies of the peoples of the east, for a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men drawing out swords had been killed.)

11 And Gideon ascended by the way of them that dwelled in tabernacles at the east coast of Nobah and of Jogbehah, and smote the tents of [the] enemies, that were secure, and supposed not anything of adversity.

12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, whom Gideon pursued, and (he) took (hold of them), when all their host was troubled.