Judges 8:23

23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; ¹the LORD will rule over you."

Judges 8:23 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:23

And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you
Not that he declined the government of them as a judge, to which he was raised of God, but as a king, for which he had no authority and call from God; the choice of a king belonging to him, and not to the people:

neither shall my son rule over you;
which Abarbinel thinks he spake as a prophet, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; for after his death neither Jether his eldest son, nor any of the rest of his legitimate sons, ruled over them; for they were all slain by Abimelech, the son of his concubine, who was made king:

the Lord shall rule over you;
as he did; their government was a theocracy, which they would have changed, but Gideon would not agree to it.

Judges 8:23 In-Context

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

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

23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."

24 And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.

Cross References

• 1. [1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 12:12, 17, 19]