Judges 8:28-35

Forty Years of Peace

28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Then ¹Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

30 Now Gideon had ²seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named * him Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, ³that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made ⁴Baal-berith their god.

34 Thus the sons of Israel ⁵did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;

35 ⁶nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon ) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel.

Judges 8:28-35 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. Judges 7:1
• 2. Judges 9:2, 5
• 3. Judges 2:11, 12
• 4. Judg 9:4, 27, 46
• 5. Deuteronomy 4:9; Judges 3:7
• 6. Judges 9:16-18

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "came from his loins"
• [b]. Lit "appointed his name"