22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon , "Rule over us, both you and your son , also your son's son , for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian ." 23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you." 24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request e of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil ." (For they had gold earrings , because they were Ishmaelites .) 25 They said , "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment , and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil . 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 e e shekels of gold , besides e the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian , and besides e the neck bands that were on their camels' necks . 27 Gideon made it into an ephod , and placed it in his city , Ophrah , and all Israel played the harlot with it there , so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household . 28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel , and they did not lift up their heads anymore . And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 8:22-28
Commentary on Judges 8:22-28
(Read Judges 8:22-28)
Gideon refused the government the people offered him. No good man can be pleased with any honour done to himself, which belongs only to God. Gideon thought to keep up the remembrance of this victory by an ephod, made of the choicest of the spoils. But probably this ephod had, as usual, a teraphim annexed to it, and Gideon intended this for an oracle to be consulted. Many are led into false ways by one false step of a good man. It became a snare to Gideon himself, and it proved the ruin of the family. How soon will ornaments which feed the lust of the eye, and form the pride of life, as well as tend to the indulgences of the flesh, bring shame on those who are fond of them!