Font Size
Judges 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Judges 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance
8 Then the Ephraimites said to him, “What have you done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they upbraided him violently.(A) 2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the captains of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you?” When he said this, their anger against him subsided.(B)
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing. 5 So he said to the people of Succoth, “Please give some loaves of bread to my followers, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”(C) 6 But the officials of Succoth said, “Do you already have in your possession the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna, that we should give bread to your army?”(D) 7 Gideon replied, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will trample your flesh on the thorns of the wilderness and on briers.”(E) 8 From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request of them, and the people of Penuel answered him as the people of Succoth had answered.(F) 9 So he said to the people of Penuel, “When I come back victorious, I will break down this tower.”(G)
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the east, for one hundred twenty thousand men bearing arms had fallen. 11 So Gideon went up by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army was off its guard. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and threw all the army into a panic.(H)
13 When Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres, 14 he caught a young man, one of the people of Succoth, and questioned him, and he listed for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven people. 15 Then he came to the people of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Do you already have in your possession the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna, that we should give bread to your troops who are exhausted?’ ”(I) 16 So he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he trampled[a] the people of Succoth.(J) 17 He also broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.(K)
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What about the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king.”(L) 19 And he replied, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Go kill them!” But the boy did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a boy. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You come and kill us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon went and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.(M)
Gideon’s Idolatry
22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”(N) 24 Then Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you; each of you give me an earring he has taken as spoil.” (For the enemy[b] had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 “We will willingly give them,” they answered. So they spread a garment, and each threw into it an earring he had taken as spoil. 26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold (apart from the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian and the collars that were on the necks of their camels). 27 Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his town, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.(O) 28 So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they lifted up their heads no more. So the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.(P)
Death of Gideon
29 Jerubbaal son of Joash went to live in his own house.(Q) 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.(R) 31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.(S) 32 Then Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites relapsed and prostituted themselves with the Baals, making Baal-berith their god.(T) 34 The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,(U) 35 and they did not exhibit loyalty to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.
Judges 8
New King James Version
Judges 8
New King James Version
Gideon Subdues the Midianites
8 Now (A)the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the [a]gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than [b]the vintage of (B)Abiezer? 3 (C)God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their (D)anger toward him subsided when he said that.
4 When Gideon came (E)to the Jordan, he and (F)the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. 5 Then he said to the men of (G)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 And the leaders of Succoth said, (H)“Are[c] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that (I)we should give bread to your army?”
7 So Gideon said, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, (J)then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!” 8 Then he went up from there (K)to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I (L)come back in peace, (M)I will tear down this tower!”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of (N)all the army of the people of the East; for (O)one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11 Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of (P)Nobah and Jogbehah; and he [d]attacked the army while the camp felt (Q)secure. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he (R)took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you (S)ridiculed me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” 16 (T)And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he [e]taught the men of Succoth. 17 (U)Then he tore down the tower of (V)Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at (W)Tabor?”
So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
19 Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and (X)killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, (Y)“Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have (Z)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; (AA)the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to [f]make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, (AB)because they were Ishmaelites.
25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27 Then Gideon (AC)made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, (AD)Ophrah. And all Israel (AE)played the harlot with it there. It became (AF)a snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. (AG)And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
Death of Gideon
29 Then (AH)Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30 Gideon had (AI)seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31 (AJ)And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 Now Gideon the son of Joash died (AK)at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, (AL)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 So it was, (AM)as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again (AN)played the harlot with the Baals, (AO)and made Baal-Berith their god. 34 Thus the children of Israel (AP)did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 (AQ)nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:2 Few grapes left after the harvest
- Judges 8:2 The whole harvest
- Judges 8:6 Lit. Is the palm
- Judges 8:11 Lit. struck
- Judges 8:16 disciplined
- Judges 8:24 Lit. request a request
Judges 8
New International Version
Judges 8
New International Version
Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)”(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)
2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”
6 But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)
7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(U) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(V) the elders(W) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(X)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(Z) and killed the men of the town.(AA)
18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(AB)”
“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”
19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(AC) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments(AD) off their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(AE) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(AF) from your share of the plunder.(AG)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(AH) to wear gold earrings.)
25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[b] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(AI) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(AJ) which he placed in Ophrah,(AK) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(AL) to Gideon and his family.(AM)
Gideon’s Death
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(AN) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(AO) forty years.
29 Jerub-Baal(AP) son of Joash(AQ) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(AR) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(AS) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(AT) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(AU) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(AV) They set up Baal-Berith(AW) as their god(AX) 34 and did not remember(AY) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(AZ) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(BA)
Footnotes
- Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
- Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
Judges 8
1599 Geneva Bible
Judges 8
1599 Geneva Bible
8 1 Ephraim murmureth against Gideon, who appeaseth them. 4 He passeth the Jordan. 16 He revengeth himself on them of Succoth and Penuel. 27 He maketh an Ephod which was the cause of idolatry. 30 Of Gideon’s sons and of his death.
1 Then the men of Ephraim said unto him, [a]Why hast thou served us thus that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chide with him sharply.
2 To whom he said, What have I now done, in comparison of [b]you? is not the [c]gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? and when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.
4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan to pass over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, [d]morsels of bread unto the people [e]that follow me (for they be weary) that I may follow after Zebah and Zalmunna Kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the [f]hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hands, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 Gideon then said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will [g]tear your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 ¶ And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth answered.
9 And he said also unto the men of Penuel, When I come again [h]in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 ¶ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were [i]in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of all the hosts of them of the East: for there was slain an hundred and twenty thousand men, that drew swords.
11 ¶ And Gideon went through them that dwelt in [j]Tabernacles on the East side of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was careless.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he followed after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 ¶ So Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, [k]the sun being yet high,
14 And took a servant of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he [l]wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, even seventy and seven men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah, and Zalmunna, by whom ye upbraided me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah, and Zalmunna already in thine hands, that we should give bread unto thy weary men?
16 Then he took the Elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and [m]did tear the men of Succoth with them.
17 Also he brake down the tower of (A)Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 ¶ Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, [n]As thou art, so were they, every one was like the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even my [o]mother’s children: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I would not slay you.
20 Then he said unto Jether his firstborn son, Up, and slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet young.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall upon us: for [p]as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the [q]ornaments, that were on their camels’ necks.
22 ¶ Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Reign thou over us, both thou, and thy son and thy [r]son’s son: for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not reign over you, neither shall my child reign over you, but the Lord shall reign over you.
24 Again Gideon said unto them, [s]I would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of his prey (for they [had] golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he required, was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, beside collars [t]and jewels, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about the camels’ necks.
27 And Gideon made an [u]Ephod thereof, and put it in Ophrah his city: and all Israel went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his house.
28 Thus was Midian brought low before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more: and the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 ¶ Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went, and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon had seventy sons [v]begotten of his body: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a son also, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 So Gideon the son of Joash died in a good age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father in Ophrah, of the [w]father of the Abiezrites.
33 But when Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away, and went a whoring after Baal, and made [x]Baal-Berith their god.
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.
35 Neither [y]showed they mercy on the house of Jerubbaal, or Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:1 They began to cavil, because he had the glory of the victory.
- Judges 8:2 Which have slain two princes, Oreb and Zeeb.
- Judges 8:2 This last act of the whole tribe is more famous, than the whole enterprise of one man of one family.
- Judges 8:5 Or, some small portion.
- Judges 8:5 Hebrew, that are at my feet.
- Judges 8:6 Because thou hast overcome an handful, thinkest thou to have overcome the whole?
- Judges 8:7 Hebrew, beat in pieces.
- Judges 8:9 Having gotten the victory.
- Judges 8:10 A city Eastward beyond Jordan.
- Judges 8:11 He went by the wilderness where the Arabians dwelt in tents.
- Judges 8:13 Some read, before the Sun rose up.
- Judges 8:14 Or, described.
- Judges 8:16 Hebrew, break in pieces, as one thresheth corn.
- Judges 8:18 Or, they were like unto thee.
- Judges 8:19 We came all out of one belly: therefore I will be revenged.
- Judges 8:21 Meaning, that they would be rid out of their pain at once, or else to have a valiant man to put them to death.
- Judges 8:21 Or, collars.
- Judges 8:22 That is, thy posterity.
- Judges 8:24 His intent was to show himself thankful for this victory by restoring of religion, which because it was not according as God had commanded, turned to their destruction.
- Judges 8:26 Or, sweet balls.
- Judges 8:27 That is, such things as pertained to the use of the Tabernacle. See more of Ephod, Exod. 28:4,6; 1 Sam. 2:18 and 2 Sam. 6:14 and Judg. 17:5.
- Judges 8:30 Hebrew, which came out of his thigh.
- Judges 8:32 Which city belonged to the family of the Abiezrites.
- Judges 8:33 That is, Baal, to whom they had bound themselves by covenant.
- Judges 8:35 They were unmindful of God and unkind toward him, by whom they had received so great a benefit.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.