Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

Judges 8

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.

  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.
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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