Jud 8:1-9.
THE
EPHRAIMITES
OFFENDED, BUT
PACIFIED.
1. the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us
thus?--Where this complaint was made, whether before or after the
crossing of the Jordan, cannot be determined. By the overthrow of the
national enemy, the Ephraimites were benefited as largely as any of the
other neighboring tribes. But, piqued at not having been sharers in the
glory of the victory, their leading men could not repress their wounded
pride; and the occasion only served to bring out an old and deep-seated
feeling of jealous rivalry that subsisted between the tribes
(Isa 9:21).
The discontent was groundless, for Gideon acted according to divine
directions. Besides, as their tribe was conterminous with that of
Gideon, they might, had they been really fired with the flame of
patriotic zeal, have volunteered their services in a movement against
the common enemy.
2, 3. he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of
you?--His mild and truly modest answer breathes the spirit of a great
as well as good man, who was calm, collected, and self-possessed in the
midst of most exciting scenes. It succeeded in throwing oil on the
troubled waters
(Pr 16:1),
and no wonder, for in the height of generous self-denial, it ascribes
to his querulous brethren a greater share of merit and glory than
belonged to himself
(1Co 13:4;
Php 2:3).
4. Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over--much exhausted, but eager
to continue the pursuit till the victory was consummated.
5. he said unto the men of Succoth--that is, a place of tents or
booths. The name seems to have been applied to the whole part of the
Jordan valley on the west, as well as on the east side of the river,
all belonging to the tribe of Gad (compare
Ge 33:17;
1Ki 7:46; with Jos 13:27).
Being engaged in the common cause of all Israel, he had a right to
expect support and encouragement from his countrymen everywhere.
6. the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now
in thine hand--an insolent as well as a time-serving reply. It was
insolent because it implied a bitter taunt that Gideon was counting
with confidence on a victory which they believed he would not gain; and
it was time-serving, because living in the near neighborhood of the
Midianite sheiks, they dreaded the future vengeance of those roving
chiefs. This contumelious manner of acting was heartless and
disgraceful in people who were of Israelitish blood.
7. I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with
briers--a cruel torture, to which captives were often subjected in
ancient times, by having thorns and briers placed on their naked bodies
and pressed down by sledges, or heavy implements of husbandry being
dragged over them.
8. he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise--a
neighboring city, situated also in the territory of Gad, near the
Jabbok, and honored with this name by Jacob
(Ge 32:30, 31).
9. he spake . . ., When I come again in peace, I will break down this
tower--Intent on the pursuit, and afraid of losing time, he postponed
the merited vengeance till his return. His confident anticipation of a
triumphant return evinces the strength of his faith; and his specific
threat was probably provoked by some proud and presumptuous boast, that
in their lofty watchtower the Penuelites would set him at defiance.
10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor--a town on the eastern
confines of Gad. The wreck of the Midianite army halted there.
11. Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the
east--He tracked the fugitives across the mountain range of Gilead
to the northeast of the Jabbok, and there came upon them unexpectedly
while they were resting secure among their own nomadic tribes.
Jogbehah is supposed to be Ramoth-gilead; and, therefore, the Midianites
must have found refuge at or near Abela, "Abel-cheramim," "the plain of
the vineyards."
12. when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them--A third
conflict took place. His arrival at their last quarters, which was by
an unwonted path, took the fugitives by surprise, and the conquest of
the Midianite horde was there completed.
13. Gideon returned from battle before the sun was up--He seems to
have returned by a nearer route to Succoth, for what is rendered in our
version "before the sun was up," means "the heights of Heres, the
sun-hills."
14. he described--wrote the names of the seventy princes or elders. It
was from them he had received so inhospitable a treatment.
16. he took . . . the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with
them he taught the men of Succoth--By refusing his soldiers
refreshment, they had committed a public crime, as well as an act of
inhumanity, and were subjected to a horrible punishment, which the
great abundance and remarkable size of the thorn bushes, together with
the thinness of clothing in the East, has probably suggested.
18. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they
whom ye slew at Tabor?--This was one of the countless atrocities which
the Midianite chiefs had perpetrated during their seven years' lawless
occupancy. It is noticed now for the first time when their fate was
about to be determined.
each one resembled the children of a king--An Orientalism for great
beauty, majesty of appearance, uncommon strength, and grandeur of form.
19. They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother--That is,
uterine brothers; but, in all countries where polygamy prevails, "the
son of my mother" implies a closeness of relationship and a warmth of
affection never awakened by the looser term, "brother."
20. he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them--The nearest
of kin was the blood-avenger; but a magistrate might order any one to
do the work of the executioner; and the person selected was always of a
rank equal or proportioned to that of the party doomed to suffer
(1Ki 2:29).
Gideon intended, then, by the order to Jether, to put an honor on his
son, by employing him to slay two enemies of his country; and on the
youth declining, he performed the bloody deed himself.
22, 23. the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us . . .
Gideon said unto them, the Lord shall rule over you--Their unbounded
admiration and gratitude prompted them, in the enthusiasm of the
moment, to raise their deliverer to a throne, and to establish a royal
dynasty in his house. But Gideon knew too well, and revered too piously
the principles of the theocracy, to entertain the proposal for a
moment. Personal and family ambition was cheerfully sacrificed to a
sense of duty, and every worldly motive was kept in check by a supreme
regard to the divine honor. He would willingly act as judge, but the
Lord alone was King of Israel.
24-26. Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you--This was
the contribution of an earring (singular). As the ancient Arabians
(Ishmaelites and Midianites being synonymous terms,
Ge 37:25, 28)
were gorgeously adorned with barbaric pearl and gold, an immense amount
of such valuable booty had fallen into the hands of the Israelitish
soldiers. The contribution was liberally made, and the quantity of gold
given to him is estimated at £3113 sterling.
26. ornaments--crescent-like plates of gold suspended from the necks,
or placed on the breasts of the camels.
collars--rather, "earrings," or drops of gold or pearl.
purple--a royal color. The ancient, as well as modern Arabs, adorned
the necks, breasts, and legs, of their riding animals with sumptuous
housing.
27. Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, . . .
Ophrah--That no idolatrous use was in view, nor any divisive course
from Shiloh contemplated, is manifest from
Jud 8:33.
Gideon proposed, with the gold he received, to make an ephod for his
use only as a civil magistrate or ruler, as David did
(1Ch 15:27),
and a magnificent pectoral or breastplate also. It would seem, from the
history, that he was not blamable in making this ephod, as a civil robe
or ornament merely, but that it afterward became an object to
which religious ideas were attached; whereby it proved a snare, and
consequently an evil, by perversion, to Gideon and his house
[TAYLOR, Fragments].
28. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel--This
invasion of the Arab hordes into Canaan was as alarming and desolating
as the irruption of the Huns into Europe. It was the severest scourge
ever inflicted upon Israel; and both it and the deliverance under
Gideon lived for centuries in the minds of the people
(Ps 83:11).
Judges 8 Bible Commentary
Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
Jud 8:1-9. THE EPHRAIMITES OFFENDED, BUT PACIFIED.
1. the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus?--Where this complaint was made, whether before or after the crossing of the Jordan, cannot be determined. By the overthrow of the national enemy, the Ephraimites were benefited as largely as any of the other neighboring tribes. But, piqued at not having been sharers in the glory of the victory, their leading men could not repress their wounded pride; and the occasion only served to bring out an old and deep-seated feeling of jealous rivalry that subsisted between the tribes (Isa 9:21). The discontent was groundless, for Gideon acted according to divine directions. Besides, as their tribe was conterminous with that of Gideon, they might, had they been really fired with the flame of patriotic zeal, have volunteered their services in a movement against the common enemy.
2, 3. he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you?--His mild and truly modest answer breathes the spirit of a great as well as good man, who was calm, collected, and self-possessed in the midst of most exciting scenes. It succeeded in throwing oil on the troubled waters (Pr 16:1), and no wonder, for in the height of generous self-denial, it ascribes to his querulous brethren a greater share of merit and glory than belonged to himself (1Co 13:4; Php 2:3).
4. Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over--much exhausted, but eager to continue the pursuit till the victory was consummated.
5. he said unto the men of Succoth--that is, a place of tents or booths. The name seems to have been applied to the whole part of the Jordan valley on the west, as well as on the east side of the river, all belonging to the tribe of Gad (compare Ge 33:17; 1Ki 7:46; with Jos 13:27). Being engaged in the common cause of all Israel, he had a right to expect support and encouragement from his countrymen everywhere.
6. the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand--an insolent as well as a time-serving reply. It was insolent because it implied a bitter taunt that Gideon was counting with confidence on a victory which they believed he would not gain; and it was time-serving, because living in the near neighborhood of the Midianite sheiks, they dreaded the future vengeance of those roving chiefs. This contumelious manner of acting was heartless and disgraceful in people who were of Israelitish blood.
7. I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers--a cruel torture, to which captives were often subjected in ancient times, by having thorns and briers placed on their naked bodies and pressed down by sledges, or heavy implements of husbandry being dragged over them.
8. he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise--a neighboring city, situated also in the territory of Gad, near the Jabbok, and honored with this name by Jacob (Ge 32:30, 31).
9. he spake . . ., When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower--Intent on the pursuit, and afraid of losing time, he postponed the merited vengeance till his return. His confident anticipation of a triumphant return evinces the strength of his faith; and his specific threat was probably provoked by some proud and presumptuous boast, that in their lofty watchtower the Penuelites would set him at defiance.
Jud 8:10-27. ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA TAKEN.
10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor--a town on the eastern confines of Gad. The wreck of the Midianite army halted there.
11. Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east--He tracked the fugitives across the mountain range of Gilead to the northeast of the Jabbok, and there came upon them unexpectedly while they were resting secure among their own nomadic tribes. Jogbehah is supposed to be Ramoth-gilead; and, therefore, the Midianites must have found refuge at or near Abela, "Abel-cheramim," "the plain of the vineyards."
12. when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them--A third conflict took place. His arrival at their last quarters, which was by an unwonted path, took the fugitives by surprise, and the conquest of the Midianite horde was there completed.
13. Gideon returned from battle before the sun was up--He seems to have returned by a nearer route to Succoth, for what is rendered in our version "before the sun was up," means "the heights of Heres, the sun-hills."
14. he described--wrote the names of the seventy princes or elders. It was from them he had received so inhospitable a treatment.
16. he took . . . the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth--By refusing his soldiers refreshment, they had committed a public crime, as well as an act of inhumanity, and were subjected to a horrible punishment, which the great abundance and remarkable size of the thorn bushes, together with the thinness of clothing in the East, has probably suggested.
18. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor?--This was one of the countless atrocities which the Midianite chiefs had perpetrated during their seven years' lawless occupancy. It is noticed now for the first time when their fate was about to be determined.
each one resembled the children of a king--An Orientalism for great beauty, majesty of appearance, uncommon strength, and grandeur of form.
19. They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother--That is, uterine brothers; but, in all countries where polygamy prevails, "the son of my mother" implies a closeness of relationship and a warmth of affection never awakened by the looser term, "brother."
20. he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them--The nearest of kin was the blood-avenger; but a magistrate might order any one to do the work of the executioner; and the person selected was always of a rank equal or proportioned to that of the party doomed to suffer (1Ki 2:29). Gideon intended, then, by the order to Jether, to put an honor on his son, by employing him to slay two enemies of his country; and on the youth declining, he performed the bloody deed himself.
22, 23. the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us . . . Gideon said unto them, the Lord shall rule over you--Their unbounded admiration and gratitude prompted them, in the enthusiasm of the moment, to raise their deliverer to a throne, and to establish a royal dynasty in his house. But Gideon knew too well, and revered too piously the principles of the theocracy, to entertain the proposal for a moment. Personal and family ambition was cheerfully sacrificed to a sense of duty, and every worldly motive was kept in check by a supreme regard to the divine honor. He would willingly act as judge, but the Lord alone was King of Israel.
24-26. Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you--This was the contribution of an earring (singular). As the ancient Arabians (Ishmaelites and Midianites being synonymous terms, Ge 37:25, 28) were gorgeously adorned with barbaric pearl and gold, an immense amount of such valuable booty had fallen into the hands of the Israelitish soldiers. The contribution was liberally made, and the quantity of gold given to him is estimated at £3113 sterling.
26. ornaments--crescent-like plates of gold suspended from the necks, or placed on the breasts of the camels.
collars--rather, "earrings," or drops of gold or pearl.
purple--a royal color. The ancient, as well as modern Arabs, adorned the necks, breasts, and legs, of their riding animals with sumptuous housing.
27. Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, . . . Ophrah--That no idolatrous use was in view, nor any divisive course from Shiloh contemplated, is manifest from Jud 8:33. Gideon proposed, with the gold he received, to make an ephod for his use only as a civil magistrate or ruler, as David did (1Ch 15:27), and a magnificent pectoral or breastplate also. It would seem, from the history, that he was not blamable in making this ephod, as a civil robe or ornament merely, but that it afterward became an object to which religious ideas were attached; whereby it proved a snare, and consequently an evil, by perversion, to Gideon and his house [TAYLOR, Fragments].
Jud 8:28. MIDIAN SUBDUED.
28. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel--This invasion of the Arab hordes into Canaan was as alarming and desolating as the irruption of the Huns into Europe. It was the severest scourge ever inflicted upon Israel; and both it and the deliverance under Gideon lived for centuries in the minds of the people (Ps 83:11).