Judges 8:3

3 God handed over to you Midyan's chiefs, 'Orev and Ze'ev. What could I do that matches what you did?" By saying that, he appeased their anger at him.

Judges 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:3

God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb
and Zeeb
A high honour this conferred upon you, and with which you may be well contented:

and what was I able to do in comparison of you?
what he had done in defeating and pursuing the army of Midian, in slaying and taking any of them prisoners, was nothing in comparison of what they had done; nay, he signifies that he was not capable of doing anything worth mentioning without them; the glory of finishing this conquest was reserved for them:

then their anger was abated towards him when he had said that;
it being what gratified their pride and was pleasing to them; and this conduct of Gideon showed him to be a wise and humble man.

Judges 8:3 In-Context

1 But the men of Efrayim complained to Gid'on, "Why didn't you call on us when you went to fight Midyan? Why did you treat us this way?" They were sharp in their criticism.

2 He answered by saying to them, "How can what I have done be compared with what you have done? Aren't the grapes Efrayim leaves on the vines better than the ones Avi'ezer harvests?

3 God handed over to you Midyan's chiefs, 'Orev and Ze'ev. What could I do that matches what you did?" By saying that, he appeased their anger at him.

4 By now Gid'on and his three hundred men had come to the Yarden and crossed over. They were exhausted but were still pursuing the enemy.

5 In Sukkot he asked the people there, "Please give some loaves of bread to the men following me, because they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zevach and Tzalmuna the kings of Midyan."