Judges 8:22-28

Gideon’s Ephod

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; ¹the 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, ²because 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.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels^[a] of gold, besides ³the crescent ornaments and ⁴the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.

27 And Gideon ⁵made an ephod of it and put it in his city, ⁶in Ophrah. And all Israel ⁷whored after it there, and it became a ⁸snare to Gideon and to his family.

28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. ⁹And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

Judges 8:22-28 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.

Cross References

• 1. 8:23 [1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19; 12:12, 17, 19]
• 2. 8:24 [Gen. 37:25, 28, 36; 39:1]
• 3. 8:26 ver. 21
• 4. 8:26 Isa. 3:19
• 5. 8:27 ch. 17:5; 18:14, 17; See Ex. 28:6-35
• 6. 8:27 ch. 6:24
• 7. 8:27 ver. 33; ch. 2:17; Ex. 34:15; Ps. 106:39
• 8. 8:27 Ex. 23:33; Deut. 7:16
• 9. 8:28 [ch. 3:11; 5:31]

Footnotes

• [a] 8:26 A 'shekel' was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams