10 Now Zebah H2078 and Zalmunna H6759 were in Karkor, H7174 and their hosts H4264 with them, about fifteen H2568 H6240 thousand H505 men, all that were left H3498 of all the hosts H4264 of the children H1121 of the east: H6924 for there fell H5307 an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 sword. H2719
11 And Gideon H1439 went up H5927 by the way H1870 of them that dwelt H7931 in tents H168 on the east H6924 of Nobah H5025 and Jogbehah, H3011 and smote H5221 the host: H4264 for the host H4264 was secure. H983
12 And when Zebah H2078 and Zalmunna H6759 fled, H5127 he pursued H7291 after H310 them, and took H3920 the two H8147 kings H4428 of Midian, H4080 Zebah H2078 and Zalmunna, H6759 and discomfited H2729 all the host. H4264
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 8
Commentary on Judges 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
This chapter gives us a further account of Gideon's victory over the Midianites, with the residue of the story of his life and government.
Jdg 8:1-3
No sooner were the Midianites, the common enemy, subdued, than, through the violence of some hot spirits, the children of Israel were ready to quarrel among themselves; an unhappy spark was struck, which, if Gideon had not with a great deal of wisdom and grace extinguished immediately, might have broken out into a flame of fatal consequence. The Ephraimites, when they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon as general, instead of congratulating him upon his successes and addressing him with thanks for his great services, as they ought to have done, picked a quarrel with him and grew very hot upon it.
Now what was the issue of this controversy? The Ephraimites had chidden with him sharply (v. 1), forgetting the respect due to their general and one whom God had honoured, and giving vent to their passion in a very indecent liberty of speech, a certain sign of a weak and indefensible cause. Reason runs low when the chiding flies high. But Gideon's soft answer turned away their wrath, Prov. 15:1. Their anger was abated towards him, v. 3. It is intimated that they retained some resentment, but he prudently overlooked it and let it cool by degrees. Very great and good men must expect to have their patience tried by the unkindnesses and follies even of those they serve and must not think it strange.
Jdg 8:4-17
In these verses we have,
Jdg 8:18-21
Judgment began at the house of God, in the just correction of the men of Succoth and Penuel, who were Israelites, but it did not end there. The kings of Midian, when they had served to demonstrate Gideon's victories, and grace his triumphs, must now be reckoned with.
Jdg 8:22-28
Here is,
Jdg 8:29-35
We have here the conclusion of the story of Gideon.