Judges 8

1 Then the men [descendants, people] of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done [treated, acted toward] this to us? Why did you fail [not call, neglect] to call us when you went [proceeded, walked] to fight [engage in battle, war] against Midian [the Midianites, a tribe in the desert]?” And they contended [argued, rebuked] with him [strongly, sharply, in a heated manner] violently [with force, severely, almost offering violence]. word study 2 But Gideon answered them, “Now [at this time, in this moment] what have I accomplished [done, made] compared to you? Are not the gleanings [gathered leftovers, remaining harvest] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] better than the grape harvest [vintage, time of gathering] of Abiezer [my father is help, a clan of Manasseh]? word study 3 God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] has delivered [given, put, or set] Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes [rulers, leaders] of Midian [a tribe that lived in the desert north], into your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share]. What was I able [to have power, to overcome] to do [make, accomplish] compared to you [in relation to your actions]?” When he had said this, their anger [strong displeasure, resentment] against him subsided [slackened, relaxed, abated]. word study 4 Then Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] and his three hundred men came to the Jordan [a key location, a border to be crossed] and crossed it [to pass over, transitioning to a new phase], exhausted [faint, weary, overcome with weariness] yet still in pursuit [pursuing, chasing after, in relentless follow-up]. word study 5 So Gideon said to the men [leaders, town officials] of Succoth, “Please [I pray you, I beseech you] give my troops [warriors, army] some bread [food, sustenance], for they are [have become] exhausted [faint, weary], and I am still pursuing [chasing, following after] Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings [rulers, leaders] of Midian [a Midianite tribe, a people].” word study 6 But the leaders [rulers, princes] of Succoth asked, “Are the hands [palms] of Zebah [a Midianite prince] and Zalmunna [a Midianite king, deprived of protection] already [now, at this time] in your possession [under your control, in your hand], that we should give [provide, offer] bread [food, sustenance] to your army [large group, military force]?” word study 7 “Very well,” Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] replied, “when the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has delivered [given, put, or set] Zebah [a Midianite prince] and Zalmunna [a Midianite king, deprived of protection] into my hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share], I will tear [tread, trample, or overpower] your flesh [the body or a person] with the thorns [prickly plants] and briers of the wilderness [a desert or open field]!” word study 8 From there [at that point in time, thence] he went up [to ascend, rose] to Penuel [facing God, a place of divine encounter] and asked [spoke, communicated] the same [similar, identical] from them, but the men [individuals, males] of Penuel gave [responded, answered] the same [identical, similar] response [answer, reply] as the men [people, inhabitants] of Succoth [booths, temporary dwellings]. word study 9 So Gideon told the men [also, even] of Penuel [facing God], “When I return [in peace, victorious] in triumph, I will tear down [break, destroy] this tower [elevated stage, stronghold]!” word study 10 Now Zebah [a Midianite prince, deprived of protection] and Zalmunna [deprived of protection] were in Karkor [a place east of the Jordan River, meaning foundation] with their army [camp, group of people] of about fifteen thousand men [remaining]—all that were left [to remain, surviving] of the armies [hosts, troops] of the people [sons, descendants] of the east [front, direction]. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen [men who drew sword, warriors] had already fallen [been defeated, slain]. word study 11 And Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] went up by way of the caravan route [the way of those who dwell in tents] east [on the front side, towards the rising sun] of Nobah [a place of rest, a city east of the Jordan] and Jogbehah [a lofty or high place, a city built by the tribe of Gad], and he attacked [struck, smote] their army [the host, a group of people], taking them by surprise [when they were secure, feeling safe and careless]. word study 12 When Zebah [a Midianite prince] and Zalmunna [deprived of protection] fled [in fear, to escape], Gideon pursued [chased after, with hostile intent] and captured [seized, took control of] these two [a pair, dual] kings [royal rulers] of Midian [a son of Abraham, a tribe in the desert], routing [defeating, causing to tremble] their entire [all, everything] army [camp, group of people]. word study 13 After this, Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] son of Joash returned [to a previous place, turned back] from the battle [war, conflict] along the Ascent [an upward movement, like climbing] of Heres [possibly referring to the sun, or a skin disease]. word study 14 There he captured [took prisoner, seized] a young man [youth] of Succoth [a city, a place of booths] and interrogated [asked, inquired of] him. The young man wrote down [recorded, inscribed] for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders [rulers, princes] and elders [old men, respected leaders] of Succoth [the city, a place in Israel]. word study 15 And Gideon went [came, approached] to the men [leaders, elders] of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah [a Midianite prince] and Zalmunna [a Midianite king, deprived of protection], about whom you [previously] taunted [mocked, reproached] me, saying, ‘Are the hands [power, control] of Zebah and Zalmunna already [now, at this time] in your possession [grasp, dominion], that we should give [provide, offer] bread [food, sustenance] to your weary [exhausted, fainting] men [warriors, soldiers]?’” word study 16 Then he took [seized, laid hold of] the elders [respected leaders, wise men] of the city [a place of gathering, a community], and using [with, by means of] the thorns [prickly shrubs, troublesome plants] and briers [thorny vegetation, obstacles] of the wilderness [a desert, a desolate place], he disciplined [taught, chastised] the men [people, individuals] of Succoth [a place of booths, a city in Israel]. word study 17 He also pulled down [demolished, beat down] the tower [a tall structure] of Penuel [facing God, a place of divine encounter] and killed [slew, tore down] the men [individuals, people] of the city [a town, a place of human settlement]. word study 18 Next, Gideon asked [inquired of, spoke to] Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind [manner, sort] of men [individuals, persons] did you kill [slay, put to death] at Tabor [a mountain in Palestine]?” “Men [individuals] like you [similar to you, resembling you],” they answered, “each one [every single one] resembling [having the appearance of, like] the son [child, descendant] of a king [ruler, monarch].” word study 19 “They were my brothers [brethren, close relatives],” Gideon replied, “the sons [descendants, offspring] of my mother [female parent, maternal figure]! As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] lives [is alive, has life], if you had let them live [saved them alive, preserved their lives], I would not kill [slay, destroy] you.” word study 20 So he said to Jether [his firstborn son, his oldest], his firstborn, “Get up [rise, stand] and kill [slay, destroy] them.” But the young man [youth, boy] did not draw [pull out] his sword [cutting instrument]; he was fearful [afraid, reverent] because he was still [yet, continuing] a youth [young person, immature]. word study 21 Then Zebah [a Midianite prince] and Zalmunna [deprived of protection] said, “Get up [rise, stand up] and kill us yourself, for as the man [a male person, an individual] is, so is his strength [might, power].” So Gideon [a judge of Israel, a hewer] got up [rose, stood up] and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments [round, moon-shaped necklaces] from the necks [the area around the neck] of their camels [valuable riding animals]. word study 22 Then the Israelites [men of Israel, descendants of Jacob] said to Gideon [a judge of Israel, a hewer], “Rule over us [be our leader, have dominion]—you [as our deliverer] and your son [your descendant, offspring] and grandson [your son’s son, your lineage]—for [because, as a result] you have saved us [delivered, rescued] from the hand [power, control] of Midian [a son of Abraham, a tribe].” word study 23 But Gideon replied, “I [as a humble leader] will not rule [have dominion or authority] over you, nor will my son [my descendant or heir]. The LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God] shall rule [govern or reign] over you.” word study 24 Then he added, “Let me make a request [petition, a humble ask] of you, that each of you give me an earring [nose-ring] from his plunder [spoils of war, booty].” (For the enemies had gold [valuable, precious] earrings [ornaments, jewelry] because they were Ishmaelites [descendants of Ishmael, a nomadic people].) word study 25 “We will give [willingly, gladly] them gladly,” they replied [said, spoke]. So they spread [stretched, laid] out a garment [mantle, cloak], and each man [individual, person] threw [cast, tossed] an earring [ring, nose-ring] from his plunder [spoil, booty] onto it [there, thither]. word study 26 The weight [amount, quantity] of the gold [valuable metal] earrings [ring-shaped ornaments, nose-rings] he had requested [asked for, inquired about] was 1,700 [a thousand and seven hundred] shekels [units of weight, currency], in addition to [besides, apart from] the crescent [moon-shaped, round] ornaments [jewels, decorative items], the pendants [hanging earrings, ornaments], the purple [royal, luxurious] garments [clothing, robes] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Midian [a region, a tribe], and the chains [necklaces, ornaments] from the necks [the area around the neck, the throat] of their camels [large, domesticated animals]. word study 27 From all this Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] made an ephod [a special vest worn by priests], which he placed in Ophrah [a city in Israel], his hometown. But soon all Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] prostituted themselves [committed idolatry, went astray] by worshiping it there [in Ophrah, at the ephod], and it became a snare [a trap, a source of temptation] to Gideon and his household [his family, his descendants]. word study 28 In this way Midian [was humbled, subdued] was subdued [brought low, defeated] before the Israelites [sons of Israel, God’s chosen people] and did not [never again] raise its head [lift up their heads, regain power] again. So the land [earth, territory] had rest [peace, quietness] for forty [a significant period of time] years in the days [time, era] of Gideon [the judge, leader of Israel], word study 29 and he—Jerubbaal [let Baal contend, Gideon] son of Joash [given by the Lord]—returned home [to his own house, to live] and settled down [to dwell, to remain, to sit]. word study 30 Gideon [the great judge and leader of Israel] had seventy sons of his own [born from his body, his direct descendants], since he had many [numerous, several] wives [women, female partners]. word study 31 His concubine [a woman who lives with a man but is not his wife, a servant-wife], who dwelt in Shechem [a city in Palestine], also [even, too] bore him a son [a male child, a descendant], and he named him Abimelech. word study 32 Later, Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] son of Joash died at a ripe [greyheaded, advanced] old age [a long life, filled with experience] and was buried [laid to rest, interred] in the tomb [sepulchre, grave] of his father Joash [given by the Lord] in Ophrah [a place of dust, a city] of the Abiezrites [descendants of Abiezer, my father is help]. word study 33 And as soon as Gideon [the hewer, a judge of Israel] was dead, the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] turned [to repent, to turn back] and prostituted [committed fornication, went a whoring] themselves with the Baals [false gods, idols], and they set up Baal-berith [the Lord of the covenant, a false deity] as their god [object of worship, Elohim]. word study 34 The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] failed to remember [did not recall, forgot about] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] their God [Elohim, the one supreme God] who had delivered [rescued, saved] them from the hands [power, direction] of all [every, everything] their enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] on every side [around, surrounding them]. word study 35 They did not show [fail to demonstrate, were not kind with] kindness [mercy, loving actions, a covenant loyalty] to the house [dwelling place, family] of Jerubbaal [let Baal contend, a name given to Gideon] (that is, Gideon [hewer, a judge of Israel]) for all [everything, the entirety of] the good things [pleasant, beneficial, a state of being that is pleasing] he had done [accomplished, made] for Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s people]. word study