Judges 8:30

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

Bible in Basic English

Gideon had seventy sons, the offspring of his body; for he had a number of wives.

Free Bible Version

Gideon had seventy sons, all his own, because he had many wives.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.

King James (Authorized) Version

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

Translation for Translators

He had many wives, and they bore him seventy sons.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Gideon had seventy sons who were his descendants, for he had many wives.

Noah Webster Bible

And Gideon had seventy sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

World English Bible

Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.

Young's Literal Translation

and to Gideon there have been seventy sons, coming out of his loin, for he had many wives;

Context

Forty Years of Peace

²⁹and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down. ³⁰Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.³¹His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Summary

After Gideon's victory over the Midianites, he made an ephod out of the gold plundered from the enemies, which became a snare to him and his family. Despite Gideon's earlier faithfulness and leadership, this act of creating an ephod led the Israelites astray into idolatry, revealing the dangers of materialism and misplaced worship. This verse serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of compromising one's faith and succumbing to worldly temptations, even after experiencing God's miraculous deliverance.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And his concubine that was in Shechem,.... Which was not an harlot, but a secondary or half wife; such were generally taken from handmaids, and of the meaner sort, and were not in such esteem as proper wives, had not the management of household affairs, only a share in the bed, and their children did not inherit. This concubine of Gideon's seems not to have been taken into his house at all, but lived at Shechem, perhaps in her father's house, and here Gideon met with her when he went to Shechem as a judge to try causes; her name, according to Josephus (l), was Druma: she also bare him a son; as his other wives did; perhaps all the children he had were sons, and this was one over and above the seventy, and not to be reckoned into that number: whose name he called Abimelech: which signifies, "my father a king"; which he gave him either in memory of the offer made him to be king of Israel, or through foresight of what this son of his would be; or he might be moved to it by the mother from pride and vanity, and which name might afterwards inspire the young man to be made a king, as he was; and the account given of his name is because of the narrative of him in the following chapter. (l) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 1.