Judges 8

Judges 8 concludes the account of the judge Gideon. It recounts the pursuit that followed the defeat of the Midianite army in Judges 7, along with its aftermath, and leads into Judges 9, the story of Gideon's son Abimelech.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: The men of Ephraim contend with Gideon for not calling them to the battle. Gideon calms their anger by praising their achievement in capturing Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of Midian.
• Verses 4–9: Crossing the Jordan in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon asks the towns of Succoth and Penuel for bread. When both refuse, Gideon declares that he will punish them on his return.
• Verses 10–12: Gideon launches a surprise attack on the roughly fifteen thousand men remaining at Karkor and captures the two kings.
• Verses 13–17: Gideon identifies the seventy-seven princes and elders of Succoth and punishes them with thorns of the wilderness and briers. At Penuel he tears down the tower and kills the men of the city.
• Verses 18–21: The two kings had killed Gideon's brothers at Tabor. When his firstborn son Jether is afraid and does not draw his sword, Gideon kills the two kings himself.
• Verses 22–27: Gideon refuses Israel's request that he become king. Instead, he makes an ephod from 1,700 shekels of captured gold earrings and places it in Ophrah, where it becomes a snare to him and his house.
• Verses 28–32: The land has rest for forty years. Gideon dies, leaving seventy sons as well as Abimelech, born to his concubine in Shechem.
• Verses 33–35: Israel worships Baal-berith and forgets the kindness of the LORD and of Gideon's house.

Key Verses

• Judges 8:23 "The LORD shall rule over you" – Gideon's affirmation of God's rule as he refuses the request for hereditary rule.
• Judges 8:27 "Which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house" – a verse showing the failure that followed victory.

Characters and Places

• Gideon (Jerubbaal): The son of Joash and the judge who defeated Midian.
• Zebah and Zalmunna: The two kings of Midian.
• Oreb and Zeeb: The princes of Midian captured by the men of Ephraim.
• Jether: Gideon's firstborn son.
• Abimelech: The son born to Gideon's concubine in Shechem and the central figure of chapter 9.
• Succoth and Penuel: Towns east of the Jordan that also appear in the story of Jacob.
• Ophrah: Gideon's town, where he placed the ephod and where he was buried.

Interpretive Considerations

• Although Gideon refuses the kingship in verse 23, he afterward takes many wives, makes an ephod, and names a son Abimelech (interpreted as meaning "my father is king"). For this reason, some interpreters regard verse 23 as an expression of genuine humility, while others hold that Gideon in practice conducted himself like a king.
• The text does not specify whether the ephod was an object resembling a priestly garment or an instrument or image used for seeking oracles (inquiring of God's will).
• Interpreters also differ on whether the punishment inflicted on Succoth and Penuel was justified.
• Psalm 83:11 mentions Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna, and Isaiah 9:4 speaks of "the day of Midian." In the New Testament, Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among the figures of faith.

In the Korean Church

Sermons on Gideon tend to focus on the story of the three hundred men in chapters 6–7. Chapter 8 is often cited for the gentle answer in verses 1–3, or for the ephod of verse 27 in sermons warning against stumbling after success.