Judges 8

Judges 8:4

4. — vain and light persons.] The Hebrew word, which we translate vain, signifies empty; that is, poor and needy persons: and that translated light, signifies idle vagabond fellows, of loose lives, who could settle to no business. Bp. Patrick.

Judges 8:5

5. — and slew his brethren] There was never such a pattern of unthankfulness, as these Israelites: they, who lately, chap. viii. 22, thought a kingdom too small a recompense of Gideon and his sons, now think it too much for his seed to live; and take life away from the sons of him, who gave them both life and liberty. If this had been done some long time afterwards, when the memory of Gideon was worn out, it might have borne a better excuse; but, ere their deliverer was cold in his coffin, to pay his benefits with the extirpation of

Judges 8:6

6.—Are the hands &c.] They bid him first take those kings captive, and bring them with their hands bound behind them, before he made any demands upon swered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

Judges 8:9

9.—this tower.] The tower of their city, in which they confided, and to which perhaps they pointed when they gave this rude answer. Bp. Patrick.

Judges 8:16

16.—with them he taught the men of Succoth.] With them he beat the elders of the city, for a warning unto the men of Succoth; who by their example were taught how dangerous it is to slight the agents of God. Bp. Hall. Before CHRIST about 1940. Or, an hundred and twenty thousand, seery out drawing a sword. terrified. to know. a. 1 Kings 12. M. Gideon refuseth to govern the Israelites. CHAP. VIII. His ephod a cause of idolatry. Before CHRIST about 1240. cording to the form, &c. were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one † resembled the children of a king.

Judges 8:19

19. — if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.] As they were not Canaanites, he was not obliged to kill them; but, as they had slain his brethren in cool blood, he was by law the averger of their blood. Poole.

Judges 8:21

21. — as the man is, so is his strength.] They thought it more honourable to die by the hand of Gideon, who was a man of as great strength as dignity; and would sooner despatch them than a stripling could do. Bp. Patrick. — ornaments &c.] The Hebrew word used here is found no where else but at ver. 26, and in Is. iii. 18: our margin translates, “ornaments like the moon,” as it was an ancient custom to wear ornaments of this figure. Bp. Patrick. These were probably chains, like those which Bp. Pococke saw in Egypt, hanging from the bridles of the ages of the seven military bodies of that country to the breastplates of the animals on which they rode, in the grand procession of the caravan, about setting out for Mecca. They were undoubtedly marks of distinction and grandeur. Harmer. They were golden ornaments, perhaps crescents, consecrated to the moon, which was worshipped in that neighbourhood before Abraham’s days. These crescents are still in use among the Arabs, and even among the Mahometans in general, however scrupulous about images; being evidently a remnant of that ancient pagan superstition of the worship of the heavenly bodies, which too often infected the extraneous posterity of the faithful Abraham, and even the Israelites themselves. Dr. Hales.

Judges 8:22

22. — for thou hast delivered us &c.] They pretended to make this offer out of gratitude to him; but, in truth, they were disposed now (as their posterity were afterwards) to throw off the Divine government, being desirous to set a king over themselves, like the rest of the nations round about them: Gideon absolutely rejected their offer, because he considered God as their my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

Judges 8:23

23. And Gideon said, — I will not rule over you.] There is no greater example of modesty than Gideon. When the angel spake to him, he abased himself before all Israel: when the Ephraimites contended with him, he preferred their gleanings to his vintage, and cast his honour at their feet: and now, when Israel proffered him that crown which he had merited, he refused it. He that in overcoming would allow them to cry, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” chap. vii. 18; in governing will have nothing but “the sword of the Lord.” Bp. Hall.

Judges 8:24

24. — because they were Ishmaelites.] The Chaldee Paraphrase says, Because they were Arabians: called “children of the East,” chap. vi. 3, it being the general custom of all those people to wear earrings. Bp. Patrick.

Judges 8:26

26. — a thousand and seven hundred shekels] In the same manner Hannibal, after the battle of Cannæ, measured the gold rings of the Roman knights by bushels. Dr. Wall. — purple raiment] Purple seems anciently to have been appropriated to kings, and to those on whom kings bestowed it. It is here mentioned by the sacred historian, as being found on the Midianitish kings. “A garment of fine linen and purple” is given to a favourite by king Ahasuerus, Esther viii. 15. The Jews made a decree that Simon should wear purple and gold, and that none of the people should wear it without his permission. Burdur.

Judges 8:27

27. And Gideon made an ephod &c.] Gideon had no other view, in asking these gold earrings and jewels of the soldiery, but to furnish out a costly and magnificent trophy or ensign, as a monument of this signal victory wrought by his hands. He accordingly made it in the form of an ephod, or long robe, to be hung up, and displayed like a military standard; and suspended it in Before CHRIST about 1240. § Or, most jewels. Gideon’s children, and death. Abimelech made king. Before CHRIST about 1249. 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.

Judges 8:29

29. And Jerubbaal] Jerubbaal being another name for Gideon, chap. vii. 1.

Judges 8:31

31. — whose name he called Abimelech.] His name is here set down, when nothing is said of the names of the rest, because the story of the following chapter depends upon it. Bp. Patrick.

Judges 8:33

33. — Baal-berith] A new god, not known to them before, and mentioned only here and in the next chapter; reputed, as some think, the god that punished those who broke their covenants and contracts; or so called, as others think, because his servants covenanted to maintain his worship and service. Bp. Patrick. king. 7 Jotham by a parable rebaileth them, and forstelieth their ruin. 22 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites against him. 30 Zebul rewealeth it. 34 Abimelech overcometh them, and soweth the city with salt. 46 He burneth the hold of the god Berith. 50 At Thebes he is slain by a piece of a milestone. 56 Jotham’s curse is fulfilled. Before CHRIST about 1209. AND Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

Judges 8:34

34. — remembered not the Lord their God.] It is a sore aggravation of sin, when it is committed after great mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to us; because it is an argument of great ingratitude. Thus we find it here recorded as a heavy charge upon the people of Israel, that they “remembered not the Lord their God,” “neither shewed kindness,” ver. 35, to Jerubbaal, who had been their deliverer. Abp. Tillotson. Chap. IX. ver. 2. — I am your bone and your flesh.] Meaning, your fellow-citizen, and belonging to the same tribe. Bp. Patrick.