Conclusion of the Battle and Gideon’s Death
Judges 8
Judges 8
Judges 8. In this chapter we have the aftermath of the battle with Midian and the remainder of Gideon’s life. In it we find the snares and difficulties that accompany the path of service, and the keys to understanding the backsliding of Israel after Gideon’s death. A number of tests: (1) the complaint of Ephraim, (2) the maltreatment of Gideon and his men by Succoth and Penuel, (3) the flattery of Zebah and Zalmunna, and finally (4) the offer of kingship from Israel.
Gideon’s Pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna (8:1-21)
CHAPTER 8
1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing thou hast done to us, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they disputed with him sharply. 2 And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? 3 Into your hands hath God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their spirit was appeased toward him, when he said that word.
vv.1-3 Ephraim’s Jealousy. After the victory over Midian, a more painful trial arises from within the nation. The men of Ephraim chided Gideon because they were not summoned earlier to the battle. Ephraim had proved faithful in the time of Deborah, but now pride had come in. It was a streak of pride and jealousy that marked Ephraim historically (see Josh. 17:14; Judges 12:1-6; Isaiah 11:13). The blessed younger son of Joseph, Ephraim seems to have been early preoccupied with their own size, strength, and importance and somehow resented that they had not had the preeminence in the victory. Hadn’t Gideon blown the trumpet for all to hear? Gideon had sent messengers to the northern tribes (Judges 6:35) originally. But when the route began, he called for Ephraim to join in, and they had killed Oreb and Zeeb, princes of Midian (Judges 7:24). Often those who have little heart for the work when success appears unlikely are first to complain once success has come. The war was in its final stages, but the kings of Midian were still at large. The last thing Gideon needed was one of the largest tribes causing trouble. Gideon’s spirit is commendable. He does not assert himself but answers in lowliness. He declared that his own family was nothing compared to Ephraim. Ephraim’s “gleaning” (left over grapes) was better than Abiezer’s “vintage” (full harvest). He gives them credit for dealing with Oreb and Zeeb. This is a good example of humility that is necessary to maintain peace amongst brethren; “let nothing be in the spirit of strife or vain glory, but, in lowliness of mind, each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves; regarding not each his own qualities, but each those of others also” (Phil. 2:3-4 DBY). By Gideon’s soft answer, the wrath of Ephraim was turned away (Prov. 15:1), “their spirit was appeased toward him”, and a breach in Israel was avoided. However, this did not deal with the problem, which was pride and jealousy, and the same root sprang up again in chapter 12. Compare how Gideon reacts to the pride of Ephraim with how Jephthah deals with it. With Gideon, trouble is avoided, with Jephthah; we get the first civil war in Israel in which 40,000 were killed.
4 And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5 And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me, for they are faint; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the chief men of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briars. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
vv.4-9 Maltreatment of Gideon and His Men by Succoth and Penuel. Having quieted Ephraim, Gideon crossed the Jordan “faint, yet pursuing.” This striking expression captures the experience of the Christian in the wilderness pathway: feeling our weakness yet with our focus on the goal before us. It is perseverance in spite of weakness. We see in this the energy of faith, to press forward even when exhausted physically. There is a connection between Gideon’s humility with his continued energy of faith. At Succoth and Penuel, however, he encounters a different trial. These were Israelite cities, yet they refuse bread to the pursuing men, saying in effect that Zebah and Zalmunna were not yet in Gideon’s hand. This is neutrality within the people of God; an unwillingness to identify with the conflict until success is certain. This was heartless conduct toward Gideon. They had no heart for the work when Gideon and his men were fainting with exhaustion. This was not wounded pride like Ephraim, but refusal to share responsibility. These cities actively hindered Gideon in his efforts.Gideon did not abandon the pursuit; but he declared that judgment would come upon those cities after. It was certainly righteous for Gideon to pronounce judgment. Regardless of the lack of support from his brethren, Gideon was not dissuaded from his errand.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camp with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the whole camp of the children of the east; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the camp; for the camp was at its ease. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the camp. 13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle, from the ascent of Heres.
vv.10-13 The Capture of Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon continued the pursuit beyond Jordan and fell upon the remnant of Midian’s host. Until this the work was not complete. Gideon would not rest until the kings themselves were taken. The princes had fallen earlier, but now the royal heads of Midian must be judged. Gideon and his three hundred were faint, the enemy was “at ease”, secure and careless. Their self-confidence contrasts with Gideon’s dependence. God delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into his hand, and the host was smitten.
14 And he caught a youth of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the chief men of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
vv.14-17 Gideon’s Chastisement of the Men of Succoth and Penuel. With this kings of Midian captured, Gideon returned to the cities of Succoth and Penuel and dealt out the promised judgment on them. It was righteous anger, and justified as these cities had acted as enemies, but we do not read of the Lord instructing Gideon to do this, nor any divine commendation of it. The curse that rests upon the world (thorns) falls upon those who refuse fellowship with God’s people in the conflict. The pride of man (tower) harbored among professing believers is broken by judgement. We may however draw a further application from these cities. The two cities could be two different types of evil that may come into the assembly. (1) Succoth may represent moral evil, such as had occurred in Corinth, with the immoral man who was going on in sin. Paul would “deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” The purpose of the wilderness (thorns and briars) is for the destruction of the flesh. We don’t have the same authority but we are to put the wicked persons out from among us. (2) Penuel may represent doctrinal evil. In Penuel there was a tower; high things that exalt themself against the knowledge of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Dealing with doctrinal evil is more serious than moral evil, as seen in Gideon’s action, i.e. “brake down the tower… slew the men,” etc. In both cases “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9); however, Paul speaks more forcefully about doctrinal evil among the Galatians than he does about moral evil among the Corinthians.
18 Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise, slay them! But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall on us; for as is the man, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the moons that were on their camels’ necks.
vv.18-21 Execution of Zebah and Zalmunna, their Flattery. Before taking action, Gideon questioned the kings to see if they were guilty of killing his brothers. They had in fact killed Gideon’s brothers. However, in the conversation with the kings of Midian lay a great danger for Gideon. Gideon’s “might” was his humility: seeing himself as that barley loaf, little in his own sight (1 Sam. 15:17). The kings flatter him; “As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king”. Beware the world’s flattery. “A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.” (Prov. 29:5). These kings knew that they were finished but Satan still used them to flatter Gideon. Even in defeat the world seeks to weaken the servant of God by exalting him. He stands in peril of forgetting that his strength was never his own. Gideon seems to be affected by this, and inappropriately pushes his son forward to perform the deed, though he was not prepared to do it. It is a mistake to push a youth unnecessarily into the place of leadership among God’s people. Gideon began to despise the enemy, whereas he should have been on guard. A better example is that of Joshua 10, where Joshua had his captains put their feet on the necks of the kings, allowing them to experience the victory of Jehovah, though Joshua himself carried out the responsibility of killing them. The Midianite kings added more flattery in v.21; “Rise thou, and fall on us; for as is the man, so is his strength.” Was Gideon’s strength in himself? No. His whole career up to this point was a testimony to how the Lord was his strength. The humility that had always characterized Gideon began to fade as the flattery took effect.
Gideon’s Ephod: The Dangers of Leadership (8:22-28)
22 And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah will rule over you.
vv.22-23 Gideon Rejects the Offer of Kingship. The men of Israel also were affected by these events. They wanted to make Gideon king, and establish visible, hereditary rule. Often, the true culprits in the error of clericalism are the people of God themselves, prone to elevate a servant into a place of authority that belongs to God alone. Gideon knew better, and rejected this offer. His answer is beautiful; “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah will rule over you.” He who bore the brunt of the battle takes the humble place; a type of Christ (Matt. 20:26-28). However, it is possible to know the right thing and say the right thing, and yet have a wrong desire in our heart. Perhaps this was the case with Gideon. That which was his greatest strength became his weakness. We will yet see that there was something in Gideon that desired a place, in both the ephod and the naming of Abimelech.
24 And Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you: give me every man the earrings of his booty; for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. 25 And they said, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings of his booty. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the moons, and eardrops, and the purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of them, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.
vv.24-27 Gideon Makes the Ephod. Though Gideon refused the crown (vv.22-23), he then asked for the golden earrings taken as spoil, and fashioned from them an ephod, a priestly vestment, setting it up in “his city” Ophrah. It was not open idolatry like Aaron’s calf, but not divine order and the result was, “all Israel went thither a whoring after it; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house“. The ephod belonged to the priesthood, part of those garments for glory and beauty, and which were of immense value. Gideon’s ephod was a religious form without God’s direction. It also varied from the description of the ephod as given in Exodus, being made only of gold. Gideon rejected the place of the political leader, but seems to have claimed the place of a religious leader. Perhaps the ephod represented a perceived special connection with God, outside of the Divinely ordered priesthood. What began, perhaps, as a memorial of victory later became a rival for Israel’s worship. Today there are many things the church has added to Christianity that have become snares, including the sacerdotal system, an “ephod” of human arrangement. We see a defect in Gideon: he refused to rule, but created what practically gave him a special religious prominence.
28 And Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
v.28 Forty Years of Rest. Midian was subdued and “lifted up their heads no more,” and the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. The victory was evidently of God and far-reaching in its effects, even though the spiritual energy that marked its beginning was not sustained. The external result remained (peace in the land) though inward weakness had already begun to work.
Gideon’s Legacy (8:29-35)
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name of Abimelech.
vv.29-31 The Birth of Abimelech. Gideon (Jerubbaal) dwelt in his own house and had many wives, and seventy sons were born to him; in addition, a concubine in Shechem bore him a son, Abimelech. This large household is not suggestive of the spiritual vigor seen earlier in Gideon’s history. Ease and self-pleasing follow victory, and from this domestic enlargement comes the seed of future trouble. The name Abimelech (“my father is king”) is striking in light of Gideon’s earlier refusal of kingship. Though Gideon had declined the throne in principle, the atmosphere in his house suggests that the thought of rule was not far removed. The chapter records these facts without comment, but they prepare the way for the tragic events that follow in chapter 9.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
v.32 The Death of Gideon. Gideon died “in a good old age” and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father at Ophrah. Scripture records his death simply, without further commentary. While his earlier deliverance had brought lasting outward peace, Gideon did not revive a right moral state in the people. The rest continued during his lifetime, but it was attached to his person rather than to a renewed condition of the nation before God.
33 And it came to pass when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after the Baals, and set up Baal-Berith as their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side. 35 And they shewed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal-Gideon, according to all the good that he had done to Israel.
vv.33-35 Israel Returns to Baal. As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel “turned again” and went after Baalim, making Baal-berith their god (Lord of the Covenant). Israel quickly forgot Jehovah and the deliverance He had wrought. The relapse was almost immediate. The people not only returned to idolatry, but they also showed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal according to the good he had done for Israel. The beginning of the mischief lay already in Gideon’s house; and his house was impacted by the result. The chapter closes with moral failure as with each cycle in Judges: the deliverer is gone, the people forget both Jehovah and His servant, and the stage is set for deeper ruin in the next chapter.