Judges 8

Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1 z Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not a the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 b God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" c Then their anger 1 against him subsided when he said this.

4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and d the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of e Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." 6 And the officials of Succoth said, f "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, g that we should give bread to your army?" 7 So Gideon said, "Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, h I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." 8 And from there he went up to i Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, j "When I come again in peace, k I will break down this tower."

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of l the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men m who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of n Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt o secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them p and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, q 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?'" 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 r And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you killed at s Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king." 19 And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. t As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you." 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise and kill them!" But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and u killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took v the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Gideon's Ephod

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian." 23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; w the Lord will rule over you." 24 And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, x because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels 2 of gold, besides y the crescent ornaments and z the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon a made an ephod of it and put it in his city, b in Ophrah. And all Israel c whored after it there, and it became a d snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. e And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

The Death of Gideon

29 f Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had g seventy sons, his own offspring, 3 for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine h who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died i in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, j at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 k As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and l whored after the Baals and made m Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel n did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 o and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 12:1
    The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.
    2 Samuel 19:41
    Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?
  2. Cross References
    Isaiah 24:13
    For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
    Jeremiah 49:9
    If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
    Obadiah 1:5
    If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night - how you have been destroyed! - would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
    Micah 7:1
    Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
  3. Cross References
    Judges 7:24 - 25
    Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.
  4. Cross References
    Proverbs 15:1
    A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
  5. Cross References
    Judges 7:6
    And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 33:17
    But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
    Psalms 60:6
    God has spoken in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:11
    And the king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.'
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:11
    Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?
  9. Cross References
    Judges 8:16
    And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 32:30 - 31
    So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.
    1 Kings 12:25
    Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:27 - 28
    And say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace."'
  12. Cross References
    Judges 8:17
    And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
  13. Cross References
    Judges 6:3
    For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 20:2
    And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tr...
    Judges 20:15
    And the people of Benjamin mustered out of thei...
    Judges 20:17
    And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mus...
    Judges 20:25
    And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah th...
    Judges 20:35
    And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, a...
    Judges 20:46
    So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,00...
    2 Samuel 24:9
    And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the p...
    2 Kings 3:26
    When the king of Moab saw that the battle was g...
    1 Chronicles 21:5
    And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the p...
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 32:35
    Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah.
    Numbers 32:42
    And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
  16. Cross References
    Judges 18:27
    But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.
  17. Cross References
    Psalms 83:11
    Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.
  18. Cross References
    Judges 8:6
    And the officials of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?
  19. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:25
    Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.
  20. Cross References
    Judges 4:6
    She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, "Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, 'Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.
  21. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  22. Cross References
    Psalms 83:11
    Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.
  23. Cross References
    Judges 8:26
    And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.
    Isaiah 3:18
    In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents.
  24. Cross References
    1 Samuel 8:7
    And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
    1 Samuel 10:19
    But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.
    1 Samuel 12:12
    And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the Lord your God was your king.
    1 Samuel 12:17
    Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.
    1 Samuel 12:19
    And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.
  25. Cross References
    Genesis 37:25
    Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.
    Genesis 37:28
    Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
    Genesis 37:36
    Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
    Genesis 39:1
    Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
  26. Cross References
    Judges 8:21
    Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
  27. Cross References
    Isaiah 3:19
    The pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves.
  28. Cross References
    Judges 17:5
    And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest.
    Judges 18:14
    Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.
    Judges 18:17
    And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.
    Exodus 28:6 - 35
    And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.
  29. Cross References
    Judges 6:24
    Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
  30. Cross References
    Judges 8:33
    As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
    Judges 2:17
    Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so.
    Exodus 34:15
    Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice.
    Psalms 106:39
    Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
  31. Cross References
    Exodus 23:33
    They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.
    Deuteronomy 7:16
    And you shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
  32. Cross References
    Judges 3:11
    So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
    Judges 5:31
    So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years.
  33. Cross References
    Judges 6:32
    Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.
    Judges 7:1
    Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
  34. Cross References
    Judges 9:2
    "Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
    Judges 9:5
    And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
  35. Cross References
    Judges 9:1 - 2
    Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family.
  36. Cross References
    Genesis 15:15
    As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
    Genesis 25:8
    Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
    Job 5:26
    You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
  37. Cross References
    Judges 6:24
    Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
  38. Cross References
    Judges 2:19
    But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
  39. Cross References
    Judges 8:27
    And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
  40. Cross References
    Judges 9:4
    And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
    Judges 9:46
    When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith.
  41. Cross References
    Psalms 78:11
    They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them.
    Psalms 78:42
    They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe.
    Psalms 106:13
    But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
    Psalms 106:21
    They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.
  42. Cross References
    Judges 9:16 - 18
    Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved -
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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