Judges

Judges 8 ©

1 The Ephraimites are offended with Gideon: he pacifieth them. 4 The men of Succoth and Penuel insolently refuse relief to Gideon's army. 10 Zebab and Zalmunna are taken prisoners. 13 Succoth and Penuel are chastised. 18 Gideon revengeth the death of his brethren on Zebab and Zalmunna. 22 He refuseth the government which the people offer him, but asketh for the earrings of their prey, whereof he maketh an ephod: which becometh a cause of idolatry. 28 Midian is totally subdued. 29 Gideon's children. 32 His death, and the subsequent idolatry and ingratitude of the Israelites.

1

AND athe men of Ephraim said unto him, 1Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did *chide with him 2sharply.

a Is. 9.21.
2

And he said unto them, bWhat have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the *gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the *vintage of Abi-ezer?

b Pr. 15.1; 25.11. ch. 7.24,25. v.3. Phi. 2.3.
3

cGod hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their 3anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

c 2Ch. 20.17. Ps. 44.3; 115.1; 118.10-16. ch. 7.24,25.
4

¶And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and dthe three hundred men that were with him, efaint, yet pursuing them.

d ch. 7.6.
e 1Sa. 30.10. 2Co. 4.8,9. Ps. 37.24.
5

And he said unto the men of fSuccoth, Give, I pray you, gloaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

f Ge. 33.17. Ps. 60.6. Jos. 13.27.
g De. 23.4. 2Sa. 17.28. Ge. 14.18. 1Sa. 25.8.
6

¶And the princes of Succoth said, Are hthe hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

h 1Ki. 20.11. 1Sa. 25.10,11. ch. 5.23. Phi. 2.21. Pr. 18.23; 21.23,24.
7

And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, ithen I will 4tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

i v.16.
8

¶And he went up thence to jPenuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

j Ge. 32.30,31. 1Ki. 12.25. v.6.
9

And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in kpeace, lI will break down this tower.

k v.7. 1Ki. 22.27,28.
l v.17.
10

¶Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of mthe children of the east: for nthere fell an hundred and twenty thousand men 5that drew sword.

m ch. 6.3.
n ch. 7.12,22; 20.2,15,46. 2Sa. 24.9. 2Ki. 3.26.
11

¶And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the oeast of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host pwas *secure.

o Nu. 32.35,42.
p ch. 18.27. 1Sa. 15.32. 1Th. 5.3.
12

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and qtook the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and 6*discomfited all the host.

q Ps. 83.11,12. Am. 2.14. Re. 6.15,16.
13

¶And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

14

And rcaught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he 7described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

r ch. 1.24,25. 1Sa. 30.11-15.
15

And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did *upbraid me, saying, Are sthe hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

s v.6,7.
16

And the took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he 8taught the men of Succoth.

t v.7. Pr. 10.13; 29.15; 1.31; 12.13; 19.29; 22.10; 26.3.
17

And he ubeat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the vmen of the city.

u 1Ki. 12.25. v.9.
v v.14,16. 2Sa. 20.20.
18

¶Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What *manner of men were they whom ye slew at wTabor? And they answered, xAs thou art, so were they; each one 9resembled the children of a king.

w ch. 4.6; 6.33. Jos. 19.12.
x Ps. 12.2. Jude 16.
19

And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as ythe LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

y Ru. 3.13.
20

And he said unto Jether his firstborn, zUp, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

z Jos. 10.24. Ps. 149.9.
21

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, aRise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. bAnd Gideon arose, and cslew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the 10ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

a ch. 9.54. 1Sa. 31.3. Re. 9.6.
b Ps. 83.11; 149.9.
c 1Sa. 15.33; 22.17,18. 1Ki. 2.34.
22

¶Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, dRule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

d 1Sa. 8.5; 12.12. Jn. 6.15.
23

And Gideon said unto them, eI will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

e 1Sa. 8.6,7; 10.19; 11.12; 12.12,17,19. ch. 2.16. 1Co. 7.20-24. 2Co. 1.24. 1Pe. 5.3.
24

¶And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would fgive me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

f Ex. 32.4; 12.35. Ge. 24.22; 37.25; 16.10,11; 39.1; 37.28,36. 1Pe. 3.3,4.
25

And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

26

And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside gornaments, and 11collars, and hpurple *raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the ichains that were about their camels' necks.

g v.21.
h Es. 8.15. Lu. 16.19. Jn. 19.2,5.
i Pr. 1.9.
27

And Gideon jmade an *ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even kin Ophrah: and all Israel lwent thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

j Is. 8.20. Ro. 10.2. Ga. 4.18. Ex. 28.6-35; 23.33. 1Sa. 23.9,10. ch. 17.5,6; 18.14,17. v.33. De. 7.16.
k ch. 6.24.
l Ps. 106.39.
28

¶Thus mwas Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness nforty years in the days of Gideon.

m Is. 9.4; 10.26; 41.14-16. Ps. 83.9-12.
n ch. 3.11,30; 5.31.
29

¶And Jerubbaal the son of oJoash went and dwelt in his own house.

o Ne. 5.14,15.
30

And Gideon had pthreescore and ten sons 12of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

p Ge. 46.26. Ex. 1.5. ch. 9.2,5.
31

And his qconcubine that was in rShechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he 13called Abimelech.

q Ge. 22.24; 16.15.
r ch. 9.1.
32

¶And Gideon the son of Joash sdied in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in tOphrah of the Abi-ezrites.

s Ge. 15.15; 25.8. Job 5.26. Jos. 24.29,30.
t ch. 6.11,24.
33

And it came to pass, uas soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went va whoring after Baalim, and made wBaal-berith their god.

u Jos. 24.31. 2Ki. 12.2. ch. 2.7,10,11,19. 2Ch. 24.17,18.
v Ex. 34.15,16. Je. 3.9. Ho. 2.16. Ja. 4.4. v.27.
w ch. 9.4,46.
34

And the children of Israel xremembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

x Ps. 78.11,42; 106.13,21. Je. 2.21,32. Ec. 12.1.
35

yNeither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

y ch. 9.5,16-18,24,56. Ec. 9.14,15.