Judges 8

Chap. VIII. Ver. 1—21. The Ephraimites, being offended with Gideon, are pacified, and the men of Succoth punished for inhospitality.—The tribe of Ephraim chide sharply with Gideon, for not being called earlier into the conflict, as if they were ambitious of military glory on the occasion; and their language fully justifies the Lord’s intimation to Gideon, that Israel were disposed to “‘vaunt themselves” in such circumstances. (ie viii. 2.) The God of Israel will, however, suffer “‘no flesh to glory in his presence.” But the Hebrew chief, while he intimates that the victory was the Lord’s, at the same time softens them by an apology more flattering to their feelings; acknowledging that “the gleanings of Ephraim,” that is, the capture of the two generals, Oreb and Zeeb, had rendered more service to the cause than “the vintage of Abi-ezer;”

that is, than all his own exertions. (See (Judges 6:11).) Thus “a soft answer turneth away wrath.” The incident mentioned, however, in the first three verses, must have occurred after the capture of the princes of Midian, at the conclusion of the conflict, and consequently after the dispute with the men of Succoth, which here follows; for as yet, (ver. 4.) he had not passed over Jordan. The reason that the people of Succoth, and of Penuel, refused to feed Gideon and his army, is stated to be the fear of Zebah and Zalmunna, who might revenge it on them, if they prevailed; the Hebrew chief, however, confident of success, threatens them on his return, and did not fail to execute his threat. War, “in its best estate,”

is cruelty; among uncivilized nations it is of course more barbarous, and more the result of personal feelings of hatred and revenge. In this war there fell 120,000 men, and though many, no doubt, escaped in flight, few, probably, without wounding, which rendered them miserable for life. Oh for that day when men shall “learn war no more!” We are sorry to see so brave and good a man as Gideon intent upon revenge; but such is human nature; and “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” is a maxim of the Mosaic law, under the influence of which he now acted. First, he shows them his captives, Zebah and Zalmunna, and taunts them with the language they had used toward him, when he had applied to them for bread for his famished troops.

He then “tore,” or scourged them with the “thorns and briers of the wilderness;”—next he avenges himself of the people of Penuel by throwing down their tower, and slaying the men of the city, who probably defended it. He then proceeds to judge the captive princes; and, finding that Zebah and Zalmunna had slain his own brethren, and as they probably were his younger brethren, he calls upon his eldest son, as the natural avenger of their blood, to slay them. Jether was not, however, yet a soldier, and shrinking from the task, Gideon himself slew them; which, indeed, they preferred, as more honourable to themselves.

Ver. 22—35. The Israelites propose to make Gideon king; but he rejects the offer.—The men of Israel, that is, the army, for every man was now a soldier; the men of Israel offer to make Gideon an hereditary sovereign; but he declines, both for himself and posterity, and counsels them to make the Lord alone their king; a circumstance which shows him not to have been ambitious of power, though he was not so free from the desire of riches.

The Midianites, being the children of Ishmael, wore golden ear-rings, and the Hebrew chief begs for himself those which the army had taken in prey, amounting, in the whole, to 1,700 shekels of gold, “besides ornaments and collars, and purple raiment, and chains upon their camels’ necks.” His riches, however, soon became a snare to him, and eventually to all Israel: and thus riches, suddenly acquired, generally prove to professors of religion, when they have not a generous heart to bestow them, either on the cause of God, or in relief of the distressed. Gideon’s first object was, indeed, of a religious nature. He made a superb ephod, probably for himself, or his domestic priest; and it is generally supposed that he imitated some other of the splendid ornaments of the tabernacle, a circumstance decidedly unlawful; but whether he had sufficient acquaintance with the law to know this, is doubtful.

He seems, however, to have been ambitious of a splendid religious establishment at Ophrah, and hence to public worship leads to apostacy from true [worship]. It is said, (ver. 27.) speaking of this ephod, that all Israel went “a whoring after it;” but, as it does not appear that they acknowledged any god besides Jehovah during Gideon’s life, it may be said, how could this be spiritual adultery, which is always understood to be idolatry? In answer to this, we may remark, that the God of Israel was not only jealous of idol-worship, but of any worship contrary to his commands; if, therefore, Gideon presumed to wear the garments, or perform the duties of Aaron, or of his sons, it was a crime that subjected to the penalty of death, though it might not always be inflicted.

Thus the worship of Jehovah himself, with rites not of his own appointing, and in a manner contrary to his express law, was a crime analogous to idolatry, or spiritual adultery, which includes every manner of preferring the creature to the Creator, or our inventions to his appointments. Gideon, we are told, lived to a good old age, and the land had rest and peace under his government; but after his death, Israel soon forgot both their deliverer and their God, and the very ephod, with whatever it implied, which he had first, probably with no criminal design, was employed in the service of various idols, and especially of Baal-berith, their favourite god, to whom they probably gave this name, which means, “the Lord of the covenant,”

in mimicry of Jehovah, who was the Covenant God of Israel; and with a view to smooth the way, or to make the transition more easy from the service of the true God to idolatry. Apostacy is seldom sudden; the way to it is generally prepared by various gradations; principles are relaxed; men are conformed a little, and a little more, to the fashions and customs of the world, till it is at last found scarcely worth while to keep up a distinction, and all the restraints of religion are thrown ae[way].