Judges 8
8
1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us#tn Heb “by not summoning us.” when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes#tn Heb “gleanings.” are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest!#sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family. 3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?”#tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?” When he said this, they calmed down.#tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”
Gideon Tracks Down the Midianite Kings
4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites.#tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.) 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give#tn Or perhaps, “sell.” some loaves of bread to the men#tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males. who are following me,#tn Heb “who are at my feet.” because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give#tn Or perhaps, “sell.” bread to your army?”#tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).sn The officials of Succoth are hesitant to give (or sell) food to Gideon’s forces because they are not sure of the outcome of the battle. Perhaps they had made an alliance with the Midianites which demanded their loyalty. 7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help,#tn Heb “Therefore.” after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh#sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge. your skin#tn Or “flesh.” with#tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’et, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30. desert thorns and briers.” 8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request.#tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.” The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had.#tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.” 9 He also threatened#tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context. the men of Penuel, warning,#tn Heb “saying.” “When I return victoriously,#tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.” I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.#tn Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.” 11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads#tn Heb “the ones living in tents.” east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army.#tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity. chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised#tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.” their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass#tn Or “ascent.” of Heres. 14 He captured a young man from Succoth#tn Heb “from the men of Succoth.” and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all.#tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.” 15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have!#tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’”#tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?” sn Gideon changes their actual statement (see v. 6) by saying exhausted men rather than “army.” In this way he emphasizes the crisis his men were facing and highlights the insensitivity of the men of Succoth. 16 He seized the leaders#tn Heb “elders.” of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them.#tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.” 17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me#tn Heb “Where are?” the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.”#tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear,#tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification. as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on!#tn Or “Arise!” Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword,#tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.” because he was still young. 21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon,#tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification. “Come on,#tn Or “Arise.” you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.”#tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.” So Gideon killed#tn Heb “arose and killed.” Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon Rejects a Crown but Makes an Ephod
22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.”#tn Heb “hand.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24 Gideon continued,#tn Heb “said to them.” “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.”#tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.” (The Midianites#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.”#tn Heb “We will indeed give.” So they#tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites. spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels.#sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold. This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,#tn Or “pendants.” purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels.#tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.” 27 Gideon used all this to make#tn Heb “made it into.” an ephod,#sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52. which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites#tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular). prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it#tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity. there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
Gideon’s Story Ends
28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken.#tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.” The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time.#tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.” 29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down.#tn Heb “went and lived in his house.” 30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives.#tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis. 31 His concubine,#sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3). who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech.#sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.” 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very#tn Heb “good.” old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Israel Returns to Baal-Worship
33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith#sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted. their god. 34 The Israelites did not remain true#tn Heb “remember.” to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 35 They did not treat#tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.” the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
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Judges 8
8
The Final Defeat of the Midianites
1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn't you call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this?” They complained bitterly about it.
2But he said, “What I was able to do is nothing compared with what you have done. Even the little that you men of Ephraim did is worth more than what my whole clan has done. 3#Ps 83.11After all, through the power of God you killed the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done to compare with that?” When he said this, they were no longer so angry.
4By this time Gideon and his 300 men had come to the River Jordan and had crossed it. They were exhausted, but were still pursuing the enemy. 5When they arrived at Sukkoth, he said to the men of the town, “Please give my men some loaves of bread. They are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
6But the leaders of Sukkoth said, “Why should we give your army any food? You haven't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”
7So Gideon said, “All right! When the LORD has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will beat you with thorns and briars from the desert!” 8Gideon went on to Penuel and made the same request of the people there, but the men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Sukkoth. 9So he said to them, “I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear your tower down!”
10Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army. Of the whole army of desert tribesmen, only about 15,000 were left; 120,000 soldiers had been killed. 11Gideon went along the road by the edge of the desert, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army by surprise. 12The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, ran away, but he pursued them and captured them, and caused their whole army to panic.
13When Gideon was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, 14he captured a young man from Sukkoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for Gideon the names of the 77 leading men of Sukkoth. 15Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you couldn't give any food to my exhausted army because I hadn't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are!” 16He then took thorns and briars from the desert and used them to punish the leaders of Sukkoth. 17He also tore down the tower at Penuel and killed the men of that city.
18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What about the men you killed at Tabor?”
They answered, “They looked like you — every one of them like the son of a king.”
19Gideon said, “They were my brothers, my own mother's sons. I solemnly swear that if you had not killed them, I would not kill you.” 20Then he said to Jether, his eldest son, “Go ahead, kill them!” But the boy did not draw his sword. He hesitated, because he was still only a boy.
21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, kill us yourself. It takes a man to do a man's job.” So Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22After that, the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler — you and your descendants after you. You have saved us from the Midianites.”
23Gideon answered, “I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. The LORD will be your ruler.” 24But he went on to say, “Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you give me the earrings you took.” (The Midianites, like other desert people, wore gold earrings.)
25The people answered, “We'll be glad to give them to you.” They spread out a cloth, and everyone put on it the earrings that he had taken. 26The gold earrings that Gideon received weighed nearly twenty kilogrammes, and this did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore, nor the collars that were round the necks of their camels. 27Gideon made an idol from the gold and put it in his home town, Ophrah. All the Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family.
28So Midian was defeated by the Israelites and was no longer a threat. The land was at peace for forty years, until Gideon died.
The Death of Gideon
29Gideon went back to his own home and lived there. 30He had seventy sons, because he had many wives. 31He also had a concubine in Shechem; she bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah, the town of the clan of Abiezer.
33After Gideon's death the people of Israel were again unfaithful to God and worshipped the Baals. They made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god, 34and no longer served the LORD their God, who had saved them from all their enemies round them. 35They were not grateful to the family of Gideon for all the good that he had done for Israel.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.