Samson's Marriage

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 14:1) And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

In the last chapter and post, Samson was born and was prophesied to be a Nazarite from birth, and he would begin to deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Philistines who had oppressed them for forty years.  Samson had now grown to adulthood and went to Timnath, a city within the tribe of Dan which was now in the hands of the Philistines.  He took special notice of a Philistine woman there.

(2) And he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife."

Samson told his parents about the woman he had seen and asked that they get her for him as a wife, which seems to have been the custom at that time.

(3) Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well."

Samson's mother and father asked him if he could not find a wife among the daughters of his brethren or of his father's people, that he had to go to the uncircumcised and pagan Philistines to find a wife.  Samson told his father that he wanted that particular Philistine woman as she was the one who pleased him.

(4) But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the Lord, that He sought an occasion against the Philistines, for at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

However, Samson's parents did not realize that his desire for a Philistine woman was being used by the Lord for an occasion against the Philistines, for as we have already learned, the Philistines had dominion over Israel at that time.

(5) Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath, and behold, a young lion roared against him.

Therefore, Samson and his parents went to Timnath.  They came into vineyards in Timnath where a young lion roared against Samson.

(6) And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and nothing in his hand, but he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson mightily and he tore apart the lion with his bare hands as easily as he might have torn apart a baby goat.  He must have been some distance away from his parents when he did this as they did not see him, and he did not tell them about it.

(7) And he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. 

Samson then went down to the woman and talked with her.  After conversation, she indeed still pleased Samson well.

(8) And after a time, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.

After some time, Samson returned to take the woman with him, and he turned aside a bit to see the carcass of the lion he had killed the time before.  He did, in fact, find it, and inside the carcass, which was surely dry bones by then, was a swarm of bees and honey.  This would seem to be a symbol of God's abundance and sweetness.

(9) And he took of it in his hands and went on, eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

However, it appears that Samson disregarded the Nazarite vow that he should not touch any dead thing, when he took the honey out of the lion's carcass and ate it.  He gave of the honey to his parents, but he did not tell them where it had come from.

(10) So his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for young men used to do so.

Samson's father went on to the woman Samson desired as wife while Samson prepared a feast there.

(11) And it came to pass when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

When the woman's family and companions saw Samson, they brought thirty companions to him, probably to be as groomsmen, children of the bridechamber (Matthew 9:15).

(12) And Samson said to them, "I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can certainly declare it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments, (13) But if you cannot declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments." And they said to him, "Put forth your riddle that we may hear it."

Samson put forth a proposal to his groomsmen, probably just meant to be a form of entertainment in the seven days that the marriage feast would last.  He told them he would put forth a riddle and if they could answer it within the seven feast days, he would give them thirty sheets, bed clothes or linens, and thirty changes of garments for the day.  However, if they could not correctly answer the riddle, then they were to give him thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments.  It appears they accepted the challenge when they asked him to tell them his riddle.

(14) And he said to them "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." And they could not in three days explain the riddle.

Samson told them his riddle, that out of the eater (the devouring lion) came forth meat (food, something to eat), and out of the strong (strong in body, but in this instance, might refer to strong ill smell of the dead carcass), came forth sweetness (of course, the honey).  The groomsmen could not figure out the riddle for three days.  How could they, really?  It was not a common occurrence; it was something they would have had to see for themselves.

(15) And it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to take what we have?"

On the seventh day, the men still had not figured out the riddle.  They went to Samson's new wife and told her to get Samson to tell the answer to the riddle, or else they would burn her and her father's house.  They had decided that she must have been a part of designing the riddle in a way to take from the groomsmen.

(16) And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, "You do but hate me and do not love me; you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people and have not told me." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and I shall tell you?"

Samson's wife cried before him, declaring that he must hate her and not love her, that he would put forth a secret riddle to her people and not tell her, his beloved, the answer.  However, he told her he had not revealed it to anyone, not his father or mother, so why should he feel compelled to tell her?  It wasn't personal.

(17) And she wept before him the seven days while their feast lasted, and it came to pass on the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him, and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

Samson's wife wept before him for seven days, the whole seven days of the wedding feast.  The seventh day that the groomsmen had been trying to figure out the riddle (verse 15) must have been seven days before the actual wedding feast began.  But now, definitely feeling pressure as she had been threatened by the men, she therefore pressured Samson to tell her the answer to the riddle, which he eventually did tell her on the seventh day of the feast, and she told it to the groomsmen of her people.

(18) And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle."

The men of the city, at least the thirty of them to whom Samson had proposed the riddle, came to him before the end of that seventh day and gave him the answer to his riddle, honey and a lion.  He said that if they had not plied the answer out of his wife (whom he called a heifer), they would have never known the answer to his riddle.

(19) And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments to them who explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. (20) But Samson's wife was given to his companion whom he had used as his friend.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, giving him the might and the strength, as it had been God's plan all along to use Samson to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).  He went to Ashkelon, one of the principal cities of the Philistines, and killed thirty men, and took their spoil, their linens and clothing, and gave them to the men who had answered the riddle, as he had promised.  Samson's anger against his wife and the thirty groomsmen had then subsided, and he went back to his father's house.  However, his wife was given to the companion closest to Samson, the best man at his wedding.

In this chapter, we begin to see a flawed individual in Samson.  He was a Nazarite, devoted to God, yet he chose a Philistine pagan to be his wife and ate from a dead carcass.  He felt betrayed by his wife, yet he himself had betrayed his secret by telling her.  Then, in a fit of anger, he killed thirty different men than the ones he felt had deceived him.  However, we were told in verse 4, that this was from the Lord.  The Lord would not have someone purposely disobey his Nazarite vows, but the Lord used such a man as He knew would act as Samson did in order to begin to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.  The Spirit of the Lord gave Samson strength, in verse 6, to tear a lion apart, and in verse 19, to kill thirty men.  The Lord gave Samson strength, but how he used and abused it, was all Samson.  God often used flawed individuals for His purposes.  Actually, He always used flawed individuals, as we are all flawed and sinful, but it should give us hope and encouragement that He can even use our own sinful selves.

The Birth of Samson, the Last Judge of Israel

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 13:1) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

In the last chapter and post, the Israelites had lived in relative peace under the successors of Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.  However, it seems they turned back to their evil ways, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines who oppressed them for forty years.

(2) And there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren and bore not.

There was a man from Zorah in the tribe of Dan whose name was Manoah.  His wife was barren and had borne him no children.

(3) And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and do not bear, but you shall conceive and bear a son."

An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that although she was barren and had borne no children, she would, in fact, conceive and bear a son.

(4) "Now therefore, beware, I pray you, and do not drink wine or strong drink and do not eat any unclean thing."

The angel went on to tell the woman to be careful and not drink any intoxicating drink nor eat any unclean food.

(5) "For, lo, you shall conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

The angel told her she would bear a special son dedicated to the Lord from her womb.  Nazarites were people who took a vow to be set apart from others for the service of God.  Chapter 6 of Numbers defined the life of a Nazarite.  They were to abstain from any wine or strong drink, never to cut their hair, and keep away from any unclean dead body even if a member of their family died.  Taking the vow of a Nazarite was usually a voluntary vow someone made, but in the case of Manoah's wife's child, he was to be a Nazarite from the womb, and he would begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

(6) Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very awesome, but I did not ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name."

Manoah's wife went to Manoah and told him about the man of God who seemed like an angel who came to her.  She described him as very awesome, but she had not asked him where he came from, nor did the man tell her his name.

(7) "But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death."

The woman went on to tell her husband how the man of God had told her she would bear a son who would be a Nazarite all his life from the womb to his death, and she was to drink no wine or strong drink or eat any unclean thing while she carried him.

(8) Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, "O my Lord, let the man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the child that shall be born."

Manoah then prayed to the Lord that He send the man of God to them again to teach them how they were to raise their son.

(9) And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. (10) And the woman made haste and ran and showed her husband, and said to him, "Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me the other day."

God answered Manoah's prayer and did indeed send the angel of God to his wife again while she sat in the field.  However, her husband was not with her.  But she hurried and ran to Manoah to tell him that the man of God who had come to her before had come to her again.

(11) And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man, and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman?" And he said, "I am." (12) And Manoah said, "Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do to him?"

Manoah immediately rose up and followed his wife to the man.  He asked him if he was indeed the man who had appeared to his wife before, and the man confirmed that he was.  Manoah had no problem believing that this man was indeed delivering a message from God, but he wanted to know what he and his wife were to do regarding the raising of their son, seeing he was to be entirely dedicated to the Lord.

(13) And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman, let her beware. (14) She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her, let her observe."

The angel of the Lord told Manoah that his wife should be careful to do all that he had told her, and he repeated it to Manoah.  She was not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat the fruit of the vine, nor eat any unclean thing.  The things he had already told to her, she was to observe.  However, it is notable that the angel of God did not repeat that their son was to begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.  I imagine that was purposely to be kept secret so as not to endanger the pregnant woman or her baby son.

(15) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "I pray you, let us detain you until we shall have made ready a kid for you."

Manoah then asked the angel of the Lord to stay until he and his wife had prepared a meal for him, I'm sure just being gracious hosts and surely in gratitude that he had brought such a message to them.

(16) And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread, and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord." For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of the Lord.

The angel of the Lord told Manoah that even though he and his wife detained him, he would not eat their meal.  However, if they were preparing the kid for sacrifice, then they must offer it to the Lord God, and not to him or any false god as seems was probably the practice in Israel at that time (verse 1).  Manoah did not realize that the man was an angel of God.  He understood him to be a man of God delivering a prophesy to him but did not know he was an angel.

(17) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass, we may do you honor."

Manoah then asked the angel what his name was so that when his prophesy came true, Manoah and his wife would know to whom they should give honor.

(18) And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask after my name, seeing it is secret?"

The angel asked why Manoah should want to know his name, seeing that it was secret.  One definition of "secret" is "beyond ordinary human understanding," and I believe that is what is meant here.  The original word that was translated as "secret" was "paliy."  It also meant "wonderful" which is how the word was translated in Psalm 139:6.  Some scholars take that to mean that this angel was Jesus Himself, as one of His names is Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6).

(19) So Manoah took a kid with a grain offering and offered it upon a rock to the Lord, and he did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. (20) For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on and fell on their faces to the ground.

Manoah took a kid goat with a grain offering and offered it on a rock to the Lord.  And then the angel did a remarkable thing as Manoah and his wife looked on.  When the flame went up toward heaven from off the rock altar, the angel of the Lord ascended with it to heaven.  That does possibly suggest that it might have been Jesus who ascended to heaven.  When Manoah and his wife saw that, they fell on their faces to the ground.

(21) But the angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.

The angel did not return back to Manoah and his wife, and Manoah perceived that he was indeed an angel of the Lord and not a mere man.

(22) And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die because we have seen God!"

Then Manoah, believing they must have just seen God, told his wife that they would surely die, because no man could see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20).

(23) But his wife said to him, "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such as these."

Manoah's wife correctly discerned that if God had planned to kill them, He would not have received their offering as He had done, nor would He have given them the message that He did.

(24) And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson, and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

Manoah's wife indeed bore a son as the angel had told her she would, and she called him Samson.  The child grew and the Lord blessed him.

(25) And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

As he grew, the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon Samson within the tribe of Dan between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol.

In this chapter, we have the birth of the last of the judges of Israel, Samson.  His was a miraculous birth, as his mother had been barren.  However, his mother received a divine message from the Lord that she would bear a son, and he was to be a Nazarite from the womb, to be set apart for God's purposes.

Jephthah and His Successors

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 12:1) And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said to Jephthah, "Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you with fire!"

In the last chapter and post, the Spirit of the Lord had led Jephthah to pass over Gilead to the Ammonites to fight them.  Now the men of Ephraim gathered together and went to Jephthah asking why he had passed over to fight the Ammonites and did not call them to go with him.  They had done this same thing with Gideon (Judges 8:1).  It is clear they said this not out of concern and a desire to help their brethren, but out of a selfish desire for the glory of the victory over their enemy.  Why else would they have threatened to burn Jephthah and his house because he went without them?

(2) And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands."

Apparently when the Ammonites had been in Jephthah's country, he had called on Ephraim to help him, but they refused to help.  That is another proof that the tribe of Ephraim only cared about the glory of a victory and not about helping their brethren.

(3) "And when I saw that you did not deliver me, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then are you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

Jephthah went on to add that when he saw that the Ephraimites would not help him, he put his own life at risk to go into the enemy's country with only a few troops, but the Lord did indeed deliver his enemy into his hand.  Why would they now come to him to fight against him when they had once refused to help him, and he had now delivered them and all Israel from their enemy?

(4) Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites."

Then Jephthah gathered together the Gileadites, and they struck the Ephraimites because they had insulted the Gileadites, saying that they had deserted their brethren on the west side of the Jordan, the tribes of Ephraim and the western half tribe of Manasseh, to have their own tribe east of the Jordan River.

(5) And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites, and it was so that when those Ephraimites who had escaped said, "Let me over," that the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," (6) Then they said to him, "Say now Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and killed him at the passages of Jordan, and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites, forty-two thousand.

The Gileadites took control of the passages of the Jordan River so that the Ephraimites who had run away had to ask permission of the Gileadites to pass back over the Jordan.  The Gileadites would ask the person asking permission to cross if he was an Ephraimite, and if he answered, "No," they would test him by asking him to say, "Shibboleth."  Apparently, the Ephraimite dialect or accent was different from the Gileadites, and they could not pronounce it properly and would say rather, "Sibboleth."  The Gileadites would then know the Ephraimite was lying, and they would take and kill him at the passages of the Jordan River.  42,000 Ephraimites were killed!  It is really sad that Israelite brethren would kill so many of each other, but the most prideful of the Ephraimites had been cleansed out of the tribe, and perhaps another such mutiny was avoided.

(7) And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

Jephthah continued to judge Israel for six years, and then he died and was buried in Gilead.

(8) And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. (9) And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

After Jephthah died, Ibzan of Bethlehem rose up to judge Israel.  He had sixty children, thirty sons and thirty daughters.  He sent his daughters abroad to marry and live with their husbands, and he took in thirty wives from abroad for his sons.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote that his daughters were sent "to persons not of another nation, nor of another tribe, but of another family of the same tribe."  I suppose this is probably true as scripture does not indicate that Ibzan was wrong in sending his daughters away to marry outside their country.  Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.

(10) Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

After judging Israel for seven years, Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem where he was from.

(11) And after him, Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. (12) And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

After Ibzan, Elon rose up and judged Israel for ten years, and then he died and was buried in his country of Zebulun.

(13) And after him, Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. (14) And he had forty sons and thirty nephews who rode on seventy donkey colts, and he judged Israel eight years.

After Elon died, Abdon the son of Hillel, from Pirathon in Ephraim, judged Israel.  He had forty sons and thirty nephews who rode on seventy donkeys and acted as circuit judges throughout the land (Judges 5:10).  Abdon judged Israel for eight years.

(15) And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites.

After judging Israel for eight years, Abdon died and was buried in Pirathon where he was from, in the land of Ephraim in the mountains of the Amalekites, so called because the Amalekites formerly dwelt there, or more likely, say some scholars, because of some remarkable exploit either done by them or done to them in that place.

It doesn't appear that anything of consequence occurred during the time of these successors of Jephthah.  It can be assumed that Israel dwelt in relative peace during those twenty-five years.

Jephthah the Ninth Judge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 10:1) And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

In the last chapter and post, Abimelech, the son of Gideon's concubine, set himself up as a king in Israel, but after three years, he was killed.  After his death, God raised up Tola, son of Puah, grandson of Dodo, to defend and deliver Israel.  He was from the tribe of Issachar, but as judge, he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

(2) And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Tola was judge of Israel for twenty-three years, and it can be assumed that the land was at rest during this time.  He eventually died and was buried in Shamir.

(3) And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

After Tola died, God raised up Jair from the land of Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River.  He judged Israel for twenty-two years.  It is reasonable to assume that the land was at rest during this time, as well.

(4) And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

Jair had thirty sons who probably rode on white donkeys (Judges 5:10), acting as circuit judges.  It appears that Jair gave each of his sons a city in the land of Gilead, and the thirty cities were called Havoth Jair, meaning the villages of Jair.

(5) And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

After twenty-two years as judge, Jair died and was buried in Camon, a city in Gilead.

(6) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.

After Jair died, the children of Israel once again turned to evil ways and served a multitude of false gods, forsaking their Lord God and not serving Him.

(7) And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

The anger of the Lord grew hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.

(8) And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel, eighteen years, all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

That year the Philistines and the Ammonites began oppressing the Israelites for the next eighteen years.  Or perhaps what is meant is that by that present time, the Philistines and the Ammonites had been oppressing the Israelites for eighteen years.  It appears that the Israelites who were oppressed were the ones living on the east side of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

(9) Moreover, the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed.

The Ammonites also crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River to fight against the Israelites in the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.  All of Israel became severely distressed.

(10) And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against You, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim."

The Israelites then cried out to the Lord, acknowledging that they had sinned against Him, in forsaking the worship of Him and going to serve the Baals.

(11) And the Lord said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? (12) The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you, and you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand."

The Lord reminded the children of Israel how many times He had delivered them from their enemies.  Every time they cried out to Him, He delivered them from the hands of their enemies.

(13) "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more."

After all the many times the Lord had delivered them from their enemies, they still forsook Him and served multiple false gods.  Therefore, He determined not to deliver them from their enemies anymore.  What a scary thought!  To never again have salvation from the Lord God!

(14) "Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

God fittingly told them to go cry to the gods they had chosen.  Perhaps it would be a more well-remembered lesson if they saw that their feeble false gods could not deliver them from their tribulation.

(15) And the children of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to You; only deliver us, we pray, this day."

The Israelites acknowledged their sins before God and asked that He inflict on them whatever punishment He thought appropriate, but to please deliver them from their enemies.

(16) And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord, and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

In addition, the Israelites immediately put away all their false gods and began serving only their Lord God.  The Lord, seeing their true repentance, looked upon His people with love and mercy.

(17) Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh.

Then the Ammonites gathered together and camped in Gilead on the eastern side of the Jordan River.  The Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpeh, which appears to be a place on the eastern side of the Jordan.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that it was usually written as "The Mizpeh" and it meant "watch tower" or "lookout" and was located on Mount Gilead.

(18) And the people, princes of Gilead, said to one another, "What man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

The leaders of the Israelites in Gilead had assembled together but did not have a commander.  They decided among themselves that whatever man would set out to fight against the Ammonites, he would naturally become their head leader or commander.

(Judges 11:1) Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot, and Gilead begat Jephthah.

There was a man named Jephthah who was a Gileadite from the line of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.  It seems Jephthah's father was also named Gilead, and Jephthah was the son of that Gilead and a harlot.  He was apparently known as a mighty man of valor. 

(2) And Gilead's wife bore him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house for you are the son of a strange woman."

Gilead's wife had borne him sons and when they grew up, they kicked Jephthah out of their father's house and said that he would never inherit anything of their father's because he was the son of someone other than their mother, Gilead's wife.

(3) Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob, and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah and went out with him.

Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in a place called Tob or perhaps it was a land belonging to a man called Tob.  There men gathered themselves to Jephthah and went around with him.  They are called vain men, the original word being "rake" meaning empty or worthless.  I don't know that they were worthless in the sense they were bad men, but they were probably poor men with no real purpose in life.

(4) And it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.  

It was during this time that the Ammonites made war against the Israelites.

(5) And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. (6) And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our captain that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

When the Ammonites had made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah in the land of Tob and asked him to go back with them to be captain over them and fight against the Ammonites.

(7) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why are you come to me now when you are in distress?"

Jephthah asked the elders why they now wanted him back in their time of distress when they had once hated him and expelled him out of his father's house.

(8) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to you now that you may go with us and fight against the children of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

They were in agreement that they had acted that way against him, but they now came to him with full confidence and asked that he lead them against the Ammonites and actually be the head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

(9) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, shall I be your head?"

Jephthah asked the elders that if they brought him back home to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord indeed delivered them into his hand, would they make him head over them, meaning not just captain of their army, but chief ruler over them.

(10) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to your words."

The elders of Gilead agreed that Jephthah would indeed be their ruler, and the Lord was their witness that they had agreed to do what he had said.

(11) Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them, and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Jephthah went back with the elders of Gilead where the people made him head and captain over them.  It appears that Jephthah confirmed his plans to the Lord in prayer to be sure he was acting within the will of the Lord.

(12) And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What have you to do with me that you are come against me to fight in my land?"

Jephthah then sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and speaking as Israel's ruler, asked why they were invading his land and making war against his people.

(13) And the king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt from Arnon even to Jabbok and to Jordan; now therefore restore those again peaceably."

The king of Ammon sent a message back that he sought to fight against Israel because they had taken his land from the River Arnon to the Jabbok River to the Jordan River from him when they came from Egypt.  This map borrowed from Bible History shows the rivers in Old Testament Israel, and the Ammonite king's land is clearly visible by the above description:

The king told Jephthah to restore his lands peaceably.

(14) And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon, (15) And said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon, (16) But when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, (17) Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Let me, I pray you, pass through your land," but the king of Edom would not hearken. And in like manner, they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not, and Israel abode in Kadesh.'"

Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon telling him that Israel had not taken away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon.  He explained how Israel had come from Egypt and in order to get to the land of Canaan, they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission to cross through the land of Edom (Numbers 20:17), but the king had refused them passage.  Likewise, the king of Moab would not allow them passage (Deuteronomy 2:30).  Therefore the children of Israel abode in Kadesh and did not attempt to force their way through either country.

(18) "'Then they went along through the wilderness and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon but did not come within the border of Moab for Arnon was the border of Moab.'"

Jephthah's messengers continued with the words of Jephthah explaining how the Israelites then went around Edom and Moab and camped on the east side of Moab on the other side of their border at the Arnon River (Numbers 21:13).

(19) "'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Let us pass, we pray you, through your land into our place." (20) But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his coast, but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched in Jahaz and fought against Israel.'"

Israel had then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, in Heshbon, the royal city, and asked that they be allowed to pass through his land to get to their land in Canaan.  However, Sihon refused, and then gathered his people to fight against Israel (Numbers 21:23).

(21) "'And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they killed him, so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.'"

It was Sihon who instigated war against Israel, and the Lord delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of the Israelites so that being victors in the war, they lawfully possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country at that time.

(22) "'And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even to Jabbok and from the wilderness even to Jordan.'"

Therefore the Israelites possessed all the land of the Amorites from the Jabbok to the Arnon River, north to south, and from the Arabian wilderness to the Jordan River, east to west.

(23) "'So now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess it?'"

Jephthah summed up his words in his message to the king of Ammon, saying that since the Lord God of Israel had lawfully dispossessed the Amorites from their land and had given it to His people Israel, could he, the Ammonite king, really expect to possess it?

(24) "'Will you now possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them we will possess.'"

Jephthah's message went on to say that although the Ammonites believed that because they had been given that land by their false god Chemosh, and they had a divine right to the land and should never have to relinquish it, Jephthah's claim was that whomever their Lord God of Israel drove out from before them was Israel's to rightfully possess.

(25) "'And now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, (26) While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that are along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did you not recover them within that time?'"

Jephthah posed the question of whether this king of Ammon thought he was better and wiser than his predecessor Balak, the son of Zippor, who had been the king of Moab and the former possessor of the land that the Israelites took from Sihon.  Balak had never assumed claim or entered into any dispute or war over the land Israel had possessed and inhabited which they had now inhabited for almost 300 years.  Why had he not put in his claim sooner and tried to recover the land before this time?

(27) "'Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me; the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.'"

Having explained the history of the disputed land, Jephthah pointed out that he and Israel had not sinned against the king of Ammon and his people, but the king was wrong in commencing a war with Israel when he had no just cause.  Therefore he called on the Lord God of Israel, the righteous Judge of all the earth, to be judge between Israel and the Ammonites and give victory to the party which was right.

(28) However, the king of the children of Ammon did not heed the words of Jephthah which he sent them.

However, the king of Ammon was not moved by the words of Jephthah which had been sent by messenger to him, nor did he regard the appeal Jephthah had made to the Lord God of the universe.

(29) Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.

The Spirit of the Lord came over Jephthah and led him to pass over Gilead and Manasseh, the countries that belonged to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  He also passed over Mizpeh in Gilead where the Israelites had originally camped against the Ammonites in Gilead (Judges 10:17) and where Jephthah had been made head and captain over the Israelites (Judges 11:11).  From there Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord.

(30) And Jephthah vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, "If You shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, (31) Then it shall be that whatever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

Jephthah then vowed a vow to the Lord.  Although he had seemed assured of the justness of his cause, he appears to have had some doubt about his success, and he felt the need to make a tragic vow.  He vowed that if the Lord delivered the Ammonites into his hands, then he would offer up as a burnt offering to the Lord whatever came forth out of the door of his house to meet him when he returned from a victorious war with the Ammonites.  This seems to be a very rash, ill-considered vow, coming forth from a level of doubt or fear, as logically, what would come out of his house to meet him other than a loved one?  A dog, perhaps?  But unlikely.

(32) So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. (33) And he struck them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, twenty cities, and to the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Of course, the Lord delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah's hand!  He was the one who led Jephthah to the Ammonites (verse 29).  He and his army struck the Ammonites all across their country, twenty cities and the plain, in a great slaughter, and the Ammonites were fully subdued before the Israelites.

(34) And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and she his only child; besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.

Of course, Jephthah's daughter would run out to meet her father!  What had Jephthah been thinking when he vowed his vow?  Perhaps he expected a servant whom he was willing to sacrifice.  Apparently, it was a custom for women to go out to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances.  There would have been a group of women, so any one of them could have come out first.  But it was his daughter who came out first to meet him, dancing with tambourines.  She was his only child.

(35) And it came to pass, when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of them who troubles me, for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back!"

When Jephthah saw it was his only daughter who came out to meet him first, he tore his clothes in a sign of grief and anguish.  He told his daughter how much it grieved and troubled him to see her because he had opened his mouth in a rash vow concerning her, and he could not go back on his word to the Lord.  Actually, in truth, I believe he could have.  Child sacrifice was never acceptable to the Lord.  Even when the Lord tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, once Abraham had proved his faith in the Lord, the Lord provided another sacrifice.  It would have been a great sin for Jephthah to go back on his word to the Lord, but I believe it was equally great a sin for him to kill his daughter, a sacrifice God never wanted.  However, the Lord knows the heart of man, and I'm sure he judged Jephthah righteous because he put his Lord first.  But what a tragic loss of an innocent life!  I believe this incident was meant as a lesson for us about the consequences of impulsive vows.  Making a vow to the Lord is a very serious matter, and it should only be made after serious consideration.  Words carry great power and moral responsibility, most especially words to our Lord God.  Actually, Jesus said:

"...you have heard that it has been said by those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths,' but I say to you, 'Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is God's throne, nor by the earth for it is His footstool, neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King...But let your communication be 'Yes' for yes, and 'No' for no, for whatever is more than these comes of evil." (Matthew 5:33-35,37)

Jesus said not to swear a vow at all because any more than "yes" or "no" came from evil, or the evil one, the devil, as he would have one swear a vow as Jephthah did so that an innocent life be destroyed, because his purposes are only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

(36) And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, forasmuch as the Lord has taken vengeance for you of your enemies of the children of Ammon."

Jephthah's daughter, in remarkable submission and obedience to her father and great reverence for the Lord, agreed that her father must do as he had vowed to the Lord because the Lord had given him victory over the Ammonites as he had asked of Him.  She willingly consented to his vow.

(37) And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months that I may go up and down on the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."

She only asked that her father give her two months to mourn the fact that she would die unmarried and childless.  She wished for time to go up and down the mountains, probably first telling her friends she would pass on the way about her coming demise, and then perhaps they would accompany her as she bewailed her virginity.

(38) And he said, "Go." And he sent her away two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

Jephthah granted his daughter's request and sent her away for two months.  She went with her companions and friends and bewailed on the mountains the fact that she would die a virgin, unmarried and childless.

(39) And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, (40) The daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

At the end of two months Jephthah's daughter returned to her father, and he did with her according to his vow, "and she knew no man."  Some Biblical scholars take this to mean Jephthah did not actually sacrifice his daughter, but gave her to the Lord or dedicated her to the Lord.  The verse did not state specifically that Jephthah offered her as a burnt sacrifice as was his vow (verse 31), but states that she was a virgin.  And Jephthah was listed as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews (Hebrews 11:32).  However, because God did not approve of human sacrifice, I'm sure that act was not the object of his faith that made him one of the heroes of faith.  I believe he was listed for his faith because he did as the Lord directed him (verse 29) and delivered Israel, and it was despite his tragic vow.  The Lord would have delivered Israel, regardless.  However, as stated before, God knows the heart of man, and Jephthah's was purely toward his Lord and above his only daughter, if he did indeed sacrifice her.  Why wouldn't God have stopped Jephthah from sacrificing his daughter as he had stopped Abraham?  Well, the main reason is that God had told Abraham to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2).  He did no such thing in this case.  This was the sole doing of Jephthah.  If it seems cruel to allow an innocent young woman to be killed because of her father's rash vow, we must realize that if she was indeed innocent, then she was faithful in fulfilling her purpose in life, as providing an important everlasting lesson in the Bible, and she forever resides with Jesus.

Abimelech's Conspiracy and Downfall

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 9:1) And Abimelech the son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his mother's brethren and communed with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

In the last chapter and post, Gideon, the same as Jerub-Baal, had passed away, and we learned that he had a son by a concubine who lived in Shechem named Abimelech.  He had also had seventy sons by his multiple wives.  Now Abimelech went to Shechem to his mother's family to visit with them and with all the family of his mother's father.

(2) "Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men in Shechem, 'Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerub-Baal, seventy persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember that I am your own flesh and bone."

Although Gideon and his son Jether had refused kingship as it was the Lord only who should rule over His people, the son of his concubine, Abimelech, conspired to be ruler over the Israelites.  He asked his mother's relatives to talk to the men of Shechem and ask them if it would be better for the seventy sons of Gideon to rule over them, which might cause strife and division, or just one person, meaning himself, to rule.  He reminded them that he was their flesh and blood, hoping that would prompt them to do what he proposed.

(3) And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."

Indeed, his mother's family was inclined to follow Abimelech because he was their flesh and blood kin, and they spoke of him to the men of Shechem using all the words and rationale he had given them.

(4) And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons who followed him.

The men of Shechem gave Abimelech seventy pieces of silver out of the treasury of the temple of their false god, Baal-Berith, the temple surely having been erected after the death of Gideon.  With the money Abimelech hired worthless scoundrels to follow him around and surely to do what he told them to do.

(5) And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, seventy persons, on one stone; however, Jotham the youngest son of Jerub-Baal was left for he hid himself.

Abimelech and his followers went to the house of his father, Gideon, and killed his half-brothers, the sons of Gideon, brutally executing each one on one stone.  However, one of the seventy sons of Gideon escaped, Jotham, the youngest, because he hid himself.

(6) And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar in Shechem.

All the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo, which may have been a prominent family in or near Shechem, or as "beyth millo" that was translated as "house of Millo" means precisely "house of rampart," perhaps it was a sort of town hall or some such center of government or courthouse.  Regardless of who they all were, they made the decision to make Abimelech their king.  They anointed him king by the plain of the pillar in Shechem.  They may have erected a pillar in Shechem to commemorate the anointing of their king or simply chose to anoint him at a previously erected pillar.  This might be the stone pillar erected by Joshua under an oak tree as a testimony between God and His people.  If so, what an act of blasphemy and sacrilege!  They never consulted God about whether they should replace Him as their king, and Abimelech had killed sixty-nine innocent men to give himself that title.

(7) And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them, "Hearken to me, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken to you!"

When it was told to Jotham that Abimelech had been made king, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and cried out to the men of Shechem to hear him if they wanted God to ever hear them when they cried to Him for mercy.

(8) "The trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' (9) But the olive tree said to them, 'Should I leave my fatness with which by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'"

Jotham began a parable, crying out in the hearing of the men of Shechem.  He spoke of trees who sought a king tree to rule over them.  They went to a fine olive tree and asked that it reign over them, but it refused them asking if it should leave its God-given purpose in providing oil that burned lamps in the tabernacle to rule over the trees, something for which God had not called.  The trees represented the people of Israel, especially the people of Shechem.  They had asked Gideon and his son after him to rule over them.  Gideon was a fine and honorable man who had refused them.  He would not leave the position to which God had called him to promote himself to something God had not asked him to do.  He had told the people that God ruled over them; there was no need for a king.

(10) "And the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and reign over us.' (11) But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit and go to be promoted over the trees?'"

The trees then went to the fig tree, which may have represented the people going to Gideon's son desiring that he reign over them.  The fig tree also refused to leave its purpose of providing sweet fruit to go and reign over the trees.

(12) "Then said the trees to the vine, 'Come and reign over us.' (13) And the vine said to them, 'Should I leave my wine which cheers God and man and go to be promoted over the trees?'"

The trees continued looking for a king and went to the grapevine which may have represented Gideon's son's son whom the people had desired to rule over them (Judges 8:22).  The vine also refused them, stating that it would not leave its purpose of providing wine that was pleasing to God and man.

(14) "Then said all the trees to the bramble, 'Come and reign over us.'"

The trees finally resorted to asking the bramble to reign over them.  The bramble could scarcely be called a tree, just a thorny bush barren and fruitless only providing distress and pain.  This, of course, represented the wicked Abimelech.

(15) "And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you anoint me king over you, come put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'"

The bramble said to the trees that if they truly wanted it to be king over them, then they would find protection in its shadow.  But how much protection can the shadow of a bramble really be?  It would only be a painful irritant to one who would try to find shelter under it.  The bramble was making promises it would never keep and demanding loyalty up front if the trees truly wanted it as king.  If they did not submit to the bramble as king and put all faith and confidence in it, then they would feel the fire of its wrath and vengeance.  The lowly bramble located under the tall trees could more easily catch fire than the trees and quickly burn up, but then its fire would catch the trees on fire and take them down with it, even the great cedars of Lebanon.  The bramble, of course, represented Abimelech, and the moral of the story was that if the people chose so low, worthless, and wicked a man to rule over them, then he would be the destruction of all of them.

(16) "Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerub-Baal and his house and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands, (17) (For my father fought for you and adventured his life far and delivered you out of the hand of Midian, (18) And you are risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, seventy persons upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem because he is your brother); (19) If you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerub-Baal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and let him also rejoice in you."

Jotham then applied his parable to what the people had done.  If they had truly and sincerely made Abimelech king, and if they had dealt truly and sincerely with Gideon and his house, dealing with him as well as he deserved according to what he had done for them, then so be it.  Jotham reminded them that Gideon had risked his life fighting for them to deliver them out of the hand of the Midianites.  However, they had risen up against his father's house and had slain his seventy sons.  At least that was their intention, to kill all seventy, but Jotham had survived.  They had then made Abimelech, the son of Gideon's maidservant, king over the men of Shechem because he was their kin.  If in all this, the people had dealt well and truly with Gideon and his house, then they should rejoice in their king Abimelech and let him rejoice in them.

(20) "But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech!"

However, if the people had not dealt rightly and sincerely with the house of Gideon, then he wished for wrath, fury, and rage to burn forth from Abimelech like fire, and let it destroy the men of Shechem and the house of Millo (verse 6).  May the men, in turn, turn on Abimelech and destroy him, as well.

(21) And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Jotham then ran away and fled to Beer, a place remote from Shechem and out of Abimelech's reach.  He dwelt there because he was afraid of what Abimelech might do to him because after all, Abimelech had intended that Jotham be killed.

(22) When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, (23) Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, (24) That the cruelty to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother who killed them and on the men of Shechem who aided him in the killing of his brothers.

Abimelech was actually allowed by Israel to rule over them for three years.  He was not technically the king of Israel as he was only appointed by the men of Shechem (verse 6), but it appears that the children of Israel consented to him ruling over them.  After three years, the Lord God sent an evil spirit to stir up animosity between Abimelech and the men of Shechem in order to avenge the innocent blood of Gideon's sons.  He would righteously lay the blame on Abimelech and on the men of Shechem who aided in the killing of his brothers in order to make him a king.

(25) And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them, and it was told Abimelech.

The men of Shechem set men on the top of the mountains to lie in wait for Abimelech.  Meanwhile, they robbed all who went that way by them.  It was told to Abimelech that they were lying in wait for him, specifically.

(26) And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren and went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

A man named Gaal, the son of Ebed, came that way with his brethren, whether they be his birth brothers or brethren in general it's hard to say.  The men of Shechem put their confidence in them, telling them of their plan to ambush Abimelech.

(27) And they went out into the fields and gathered their vineyards and trod them and made merry, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

Now with a boost in courage because of the addition of Gaal and his brethren, the men went into their fields and gathered their grapes and trod them and had a good time, which may have been something they had been unable to do under the rule of Abimelech.  They went into the house of their god which was probably Baal-Berith (Judges 8:33), and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

(28) And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, "Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal? And Zebul, his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, for why should we serve him?"

As they were making merry, probably drinking and carousing, while they cursed Abimelech, Gaal asked who Abimelech was anyway that they should serve him.  He was a Shechemite, and who was Shechem that they should serve him? He pointed out that he was the son of Jerub-Baal, that is Gideon, who had thrown down the altar of Baal.  Abimelech had evidently set Zebul as an officer over the people, and Gaal pondered who Zebul was that they should obey him.  He suggested that they should rather serve the descendants of Hamor, the old Canaanite prince, rather than Abimelech.  Of what importance was Abimelech that they should serve him?

(29) "And would to God this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech." And he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out!"

Gaal said that if only the people were under his rule, he would remove Abimelech.  Then he said to Abimelech, as if he were really before him, to increase his army and strength and come out to him.  Perhaps he actually sent the message to Abimelech.

(30) And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

When Zebul, Abimelech's officer and ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, either because someone told him or perhaps because Gaal had indeed sent a message to him, his anger was aroused against Gaal.  

(31) And he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren have come to Shechem, and behold, they fortify the city against you."

Zebul then sent messengers to Abimelech privately, unknown to Gaal and the men of Shechem, to tell him that Gaal and his brethren had come to Shechem and were inciting the people of the city against him.  It is possible that he meant Gaal and his supporters were literally fortifying the city against Abimelech, perhaps not to let anyone leave or any help to come in.

(32) "Now therefore, up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. (33) And it shall be in the morning, you shall rise early and set upon the city, and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion."

Zebul told Abimelech to get up in the night, he and the people with him, and lie in wait in the field.  Early in the morning, they were to rise up and rush upon the city, and when Gaal and his men came out against them, Abimelech and his men could do to Gaal and his men as opportunity offered them.

(34) And Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

Abimelech did as Zebul had suggested, and he and his men went by night to the field where they lay in wait in four companies, likely to cover the four sides of the city, for Gaal and the men of Shechem.

(35) And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city, and Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from lying in wait.

Gaal and the men with him indeed came out as anticipated to the entrance gate of the city, and Abimelech and the men with him rose up from lying in wait.

(36) And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains." And Zebul said to him, "You see the shadow of the mountains as men."

When Gaal saw all the people with Abimelech, he said to his officer, Zebul, that he had people coming down from the mountains to aid him.  However, Zebul told him that he only saw the shadows of the mountains and thought they were men.

(37) And Gaal spoke again and said, "See there come people down by the middle of the land and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim."

Gaal spoke to Zebul again and told him there were people coming from the middle of the land, which might have meant the valley between the mountains, and also more people coming along by the plain of Meonenim.  Other Bible translations called Meonenim the "Diviners' Oak," but I'm not sure that the place or its name have any real significance.

(38) Then Zebul said to him, "Where now is your mouth with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people that you have despised? Go out, I pray now, and fight with them."

Zebul answered Gaal, taunting him, asking where his big talk was when he had asked who Abimelech was, that they should serve him.  He now had the people he had said he despised before him, so he should put his money where his mouth was, so to speak, and go out and fight them.

(39) And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. (40) And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded to the entering of the gate.

Gaal indeed went out with the men of Shechem behind him, and they fought Abimelech and his men.  Abimelech chased Gaal back to the entrance gate of the city, and many men were overthrown and wounded all the way back to the gate of the city.

(41) And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren that they should not dwell in Shechem.

Abimelech dwelt in a place called Arumah, probably near Shechem, while he waited for another opportunity to avenge his name.  His officer Zebul thrust Gaal and his brethren out of the city of Shechem, and they were forbidden to dwell in Shechem.

(42) And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

The next day the people went out to their fields, probably going back to their daily routines, as they thought Abimelech was gone and Gaal and his brethren had been thrown out of the city.  It was told to Abimelech that the people had returned to the fields.

(43) And he took the people and divided them into three companies and laid wait in the field, and looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city, and he rose up against them and struck them.

Abimelech took the people who were with him and divided them into three different companies, and they lay in wait in the fields.  When the people came out of the city to return to the fields, Abimelech and his company rose up and attacked them.

(44) And Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood in the entering of the gate of the city, and the two other companies ran upon all who were in the fields and killed them.

Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed toward the city and stood at the entrance gate, attacking the people before they had a chance to return to the fields.  His two other companies attacked and killed all the people who were already in the fields.

(45) And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he took the city and killed the people who were in it, and beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

Abimelech and his men fought against the city all day long, and he eventually took the city and killed the people who were in it, at least all who had turned against him.  He beat down the buildings of the city and sowed it with salt, a sign that it might never again be a fruitful city.

(46) And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard, they entered into a hold of the house of the god Berith.

It appears that the tower of Shechem must not have been within the city gates of Shechem, as the men of the tower heard about what Abimelech had done to the city, and they entered into what they thought to be a stronghold, the temple of their god, Baal-Berith.

(47) And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. (48) And Abimelech got him up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him, and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees and took it and laid it on his shoulder and said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, make haste, do as I."

It was told to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered themselves together.  He went up to Mount Zalmon, a mountain near Shechem, and all the people with him followed him.  He took an axe and cut down a bough from one of the trees and took and laid it on his shoulder.  He then told the people who were with him to do as he had done.

(49) And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough and followed Abimelech and put them to the hold and set the hold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

All the people with Abimelech did as he had done and cut down a bough from a tree and laid it across their shoulders.  They followed Abimelech to the stronghold of the people of the tower, which was the temple of their god, Baal-Berith.  They all laid their boughs against the stronghold and set fire to them, which in turn, burned all the people held up in the stronghold, about a thousand people.

(50) Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it. (51) But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all them of the city, and shut themselves in and got them up to the top of the tower.

Abimelech then went to Thebez, a city next to Shechem which must have also rebelled against him.  He camped across from it and took it.  However, there was a strong tower within the city, and all the people of the city ran to it and shut themselves up in it and got themselves to the top of the tower.

(52) And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and went hard to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it.  He went against the door of the tower to burn it with fire as he done at the temple of Baal-Berith.

(53) And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone on Abimelech's head, and all to break his skull.

A woman in the tower threw a piece of a millstone with the intention of breaking Abimelech's skull.  It was a fitting death for the man who killed his sixty-nine brothers on one stone that he should die by a stone.

(54) Then he called hastily to the young man his armourbearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, that men do not say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

The stone struck Abimelech in the head but did not kill him right away.  He called for his armorbearer to quickly draw his sword and kill him so that men would not remember him as having been killed by a woman.  Too late!  It was recorded and kept forever in the Bible that he had been essentially killed by a woman, but his armorbearer did finish the job by stabbing him through, and he died.

(55) And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they were able to return to their own places in peace.

(56) Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.

God was the one who had sent the evil spirit that created the strife between Abimelech and the men of Shechem in order to avenge the death of Gideon's sixty-nine or seventy sons (verse 23).  I believe Abimelech actually killed sixty-nine of his half-brothers, as Jotham escaped.  Judges 8:30 said that Gideon had seventy sons by his wives and one son, Abimelech, by his concubine.  However, verse 5 above said that Abimelech killed seventy of his brothers on one stone.  That was definitely his intent, but Jotham escaped.  I've seen it written by some Bible commentators that Jotham was the seventy-first son of Gideon, but I don't believe that to be the case, according to Judges 8:30.

(57) And all the evil of the men of Shechem rendered upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerub-Baal.

Likewise, God rendered the wickedness of the men of Shechem, according to the curse stated by Jotham in verse 20 above.  He had said if the men of Shechem had not dealt honestly with the house of Gideon, his father, then may Abimelech and the men of Shechem destroy each other, which they did.  Abimelech had beat down the city of Shechem and burned the stronghold where the last of the people had hidden, and in the end, he, too, was killed.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that Jotham's parable in verses 8 through 15 which turned out to be a prophetic curse, was probably the first fable ever recorded, some five hundred years before Aesop's fables.

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 7:1) Then Jerub-Baal, who is Gideon, and all the people with him, rose up early and pitched beside the well of Harod, so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

In the last chapter and post, God had called Gideon to deliver His people from the Midianites, and he had subsequently called tribes of large numbers of men to accompany him.  Gideon had cast down the altar of Baal, and his father called him Jerub-Baal.  Now Gideon, with all his men, rose up early in the morning and pitched a tent beside the well of Harod.  No one can say exactly where this well was located, but it was a location that put the Midianites on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh which was in the valley of Jezreel.

(2) And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'"

The Lord told Gideon that he had gathered too many men for His purpose to deliver Midian into Israel's hand.  Their numbers might so overpower the Midianites that they would think it was by their own might that they were able to defeat the Midianites.  However, it would be God who defeated them by the hand of a self-described poor and insignificant nobody (Judges 6:15).

(3) "Now therefore go to proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead.'" And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and there remained ten thousand.

Because there were too many men for His purpose, God told Gideon to go proclaim to the people that if any of them were fearful, they were free to leave Mount Gilead, which was apparently where they were at the time.  This cannot be the Mount Gilead on the eastern side of the Jordan River but must have been another by the same name.  22,000 people subsequently left, leaving 10,000 men.

(4) And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there, and it shall be of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' the same shall go with you, and of whomever I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' the same shall not go."

The Lord told Gideon there were still too many men.  He told him to bring them down from the hill to the water where He Himself would tell Gideon who was to go with him and who was not to go.

(5) So he brought down the people to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink." (6) And the number of them who lapped, their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

Gideon brought all the men down to the water, and the Lord told him to separate the men into groups according to how they drank water from the stream.  Everyone who lapped water with his tongue was to be set aside in one group, and those who knelt down to drink were in another group.  The point was not so much the action of the tongue in lapping, but whether they scooped up water in their hand and did a quick lap or slurp or if they took the time to kneel down and drink water from the stream.  It might be that those who stood and took a quick lap from their hands would appear to be of greater stamina and haste to get the job done than those who took the time to get down on their knees to drink their fill.  Three hundred men stood and lapped a handful of water, ready to go forth into battle, while the rest of the men were kneeling at the creek and drinking.

(7) And the Lord said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his place."

Indeed, the Lord told Gideon that He would save him and the children of Israel and deliver the Midianites into his hand by the three hundred men who stood and lapped the water from their hand.  Interestingly, I now read that the historian Josephus wrote that the three hundred represented the most fearful men, taking a quick swipe of water, while the more courageous men knelt down, not so afraid of their surroundings.  With this reasoning, God would choose the weakest men so that there was no doubt that it was God alone who delivered the Midianites into Gideon's hand.  Whatever the reasoning, and perhaps there was none other than to separate some men into a small group, God chose the group of three hundred men to accompany Gideon.  Regardless of how strong and courageous they were, they were only three hundred against 135,000 according to Judges 8:10, so there was no doubt that it was God alone who would deliver Israel.

(8) So the people took provisions in their hand and their trumpets, and he sent all Israel every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men; and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

This would appear to be the three hundred men who gathered provisions and their trumpets and perhaps gathered of those of the people not chosen, and Gideon sent all the rest of the people back to their tents.  The Midianite army was below Gideon and his three hundred men in the valley of Jezreel.

(9) And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, "Arise, get down to the host, for I have delivered it into your hand. (10) But if you fear to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the host."

That night the Lord came to Gideon and told him to get up and go down to the Midianite army for He had already delivered them into Gideon's hand.  One would think that assurance that it was a done deal would be enough for this hero of faith (Hebrews 11:32), but God gave him another option if he was too fearful to go forth toward the enemy.  I find this amazing!  The Lord showed such incredible patience with Gideon from the beginning of His call to him.  He allowed his requests for multiple signs and now He offered him another option if he was too afraid, even after God had assured him that the huge Midianite army was delivered into his hand.  This should give us so much encouragement that the Lord can be so patient with our fears even though He constantly commands that we "fear not."  It all comes down to the heart that the Lord can see.  He can see our trembling faith, and if it is sincere but just needs a little boost of courage, He is gracious and patient to give us what we need.  God told Gideon if he was afraid to go forth with his small army, that he and his servant Purah could first go down privately.

(11) "And you shall hear what they say, and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down to the host." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outside of the armed men in the host.

The Lord continued with what Gideon could choose to do if he was afraid.  He could take his servant and go down secretly to hear what the Midianites said, and then he would be strengthened by what he heard.  Gideon indeed chose to take his servant Purah and went down to the edge of the Midianite army.

(12) And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude and their camels without number as the sand by the seaside for multitude.

Gideon saw that the Midianites, Amalekites, and Arabians, and all their camels lay in the valley as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore.  That sight could have put even more fear in Gideon's heart, but the Lord had told him to listen to what they said.

(13) And when Gideon had come, behold, a man told his dream to his companion, and said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came to a tent and struck it that it fell, and overturned it that the tent lay along." (14) And his companion answered and said, "This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his hand has God delivered Midian and all the host."

When Gideon had come to the edge of the huge army, he heard a man telling his companion that he had had a dream.  He saw a small simple loaf of barley bread tumble into the Midianite army and take down a tent.  His companion interpreted the dream the only way he saw possible, that it must represent the small army of Gideon, a man of Israel, and the fact that God had delivered Midian into his hand.  The dream, as well as the interpretation, had surely been put into the minds of the Midianite soldiers by God to increase Gideon's courage and confidence.  It may have also had the effect of frightening the Midianites.

(15) And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation of it, that he worshiped and returned to the host of Israel, and said, "Arise, for the Lord has delivered into your hand the host of Midian."

Gideon was indeed strengthened after hearing the dream and its interpretation.  He worshiped God, surely thanking Him for giving him this extra sign of confirmation.  He then returned to the small Israelite army and told them to rise up for the Lord had delivered the army of the Midianites into their hand, and it was now the time to go take it.

(16) And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

Gideon divided the three hundred men into three companies, probably one hundred in each company.  He put a trumpet in every man's hand.  There were enough trumpets for every man to have one because they had gathered them from the people not chosen (verse 8).  He gave every man a pitcher empty of any liquid and put lamps inside each one.  As it was night, the lamps would provide a little light for the small army, yet the light would be concealed from the enemy as they approached them.

(17) And he said to them, "Look on me and do likewise, and behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be, as I do, so shall you do. (18) When I blow a trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!'"

Gideon told the men in his army to watch him and do just what he did, especially when he came to the outside of the Midianite camp.  Then it appears that the two other companies than the one Gideon was with were to go on other sides of the Midianite camp.  Then when Gideon and his company blew their trumpets, the other companies were to blow their trumpets at the same time, and cry out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

(19) So Gideon and the hundred men with him came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers in their hands. (20) And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow, and they cried, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

Gideon and his company came to the outside of the Midianite camp in the beginning of the midnight watch.  In the Old Testament the night was divided into three watches, the first watch being the hours after sunset, the middle watch included the hours around midnight, and then there was the pre-dawn watch.  The middle watch had just begun when Gideon and his company blew their trumpets and broke the pitchers, and the other companies blew their trumpets and broke their pitchers and held their lamps in their left hands.  They all cried out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"  What a fearsome sight and sound this must have been that awakened the Midianites.  Three hundred trumpets, three hundred breaking pitchers, and three hundred men all yelling at once, as well as three hundred lights surrounding their camp.

(21) And they stood every man in his place around the camp, and all the host ran and cried and fled.

All of Gideon's army stood every man in his place while the Midianites cried out and ran.

(22) And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow throughout all the host, and the host fled to Beth Shittah in Zererah to the border of Abel Meholah to Tabbath.

Gideon's three hundred men continued blowing their trumpets, and the Lord so confused the Midianites that they used their swords against one another throughout the whole Midianite army.  Those who remained of the Midianites fled to places most of which were unknown by the Biblical commentators I study, but they went as far as Abel Meholah which was in the Jordan valley.

(23) And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

The men of Israel, probably the same ones Gideon had initially called (Judges 6:35) before the Lord cut them down to size, gathered themselves together out of the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites who had fled.  It appears that the tribe of Zebulun did not accompany the Israelite army this time.

(24) And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters to Beth Barah and Jordan." Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters to Beth Barah and Jordan.

Gideon sent messengers throughout Mount Ephraim telling them to go down against the Midianites cutting them off at the Jordan River before they had a chance to cross over it back to Midian.  The men of the tribe of Ephraim did just that.

(25) And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb on the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

The Israelites killed two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb.  They killed Oreb on the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb.  They killed these princes at places that would afterward be called by those names, or more likely they pursued them into Midian, as they brought the heads of those princes to Gideon "on the other side of the Jordan."

(Judges 8:1) And the men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you served us thus that you did not call us when you went to fight with the Midianites?" And they did chide him sharply.

Then the men of Ephraim asked Gideon why he had done such a thing as to not call them when he went to fight the Midianites.  The fact that they chided him so sharply shows that this was probably out of pride rather than a desire to help.  They didn't like the fact that they had played a subordinate part and that Gideon would get all the glory.

(2) And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? (3) God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and what was I able to do in comparison to you?" Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

Gideon gave the tribe of Ephraim a calm and gentle answer, as "a soft answer turns away wrath..." (Proverbs 15:1).  There could have been an all-out civil war between the tribes if Gideon had become puffed up himself, telling Ephraim they had no right to question him as, after all, God had chosen him to deliver Israel.  But he downplayed his part, asking what he had done in comparison to them.  After all, God Himself delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into their hands.  Wasn't the gleaning of the grapes by Ephraim, that final act of finishing up the harvest, better than the entire vintage or campaign?  I am struck by Gideon's meekness and the fact that God chose such a meek and gentle man for this task.  Gideon constantly downplayed himself.  He called himself poor and the least in his father's house when God initially called him (Judges 6:15).  He called for multiple signs to be sure that it was God calling him.  God, knowing Gideon's heart, obviously did not take these requests as a lack of faith, as He was quite patient in granting them, and he was called one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.  If there was any lack of faith on Gideon's part, it was a lack of faith in himself.  He wanted to be sure he was acting in God's will and not some misplaced will of his own.  In Gideon's calm and humble answer in the above verse, he gives the bulk of the glory to Ephraim and averts what could have been a civil war among the tribes.  God, in His great wisdom, of course, chose the right man for the job.

(4) And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet in pursuit.

Gideon and his army of three hundred crossed the Jordan River pursuing the remaining Midianites.  They were getting fatigued having been up all night.

(5) And he said to the men of Succoth, "Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."

When they came to Succoth on the east side of the Jordan River in the tribe of Gad, he asked the men there to please give his army of men loaves of bread as they were fatigued and hungry, but they were still in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

(6) And the princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your army?"

The chief magistrates of Succoth, men of Israel, refused them!  Once they saw that they had captured Zebah and Zalmunna, then maybe they would give bread to Gideon's army.  I imagine that they did not see how so little an army was a match for the Midianites and feared if they helped their brethren, they would surely pay for it and their bondage would be harder than it was before.  It was very cruel of them to show no sympathy or compassion for their brethren, and it demonstrated selfishness and concern only for themselves.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that these men had to be worshippers of Baal to turn their backs on God's own people, their brethren.

(7) And Gideon said, "Therefore when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."

The humble and meek Gideon was brought to righteous anger.  He told the men of Succoth that when the Lord had delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into his hands, as he had no doubt He would, he would return to tear their flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, suggested that Succoth may have been known for all the thorns and briers that grew in the wilderness near the city, as "succoth" or "sukkah" was used by Job in Job 41:7 to mean "barbed irons."

(8) And he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

Gideon and his army then went from Succoth to the city of Penuel, also inhabited by his Israelite brethren, and asked them for bread to feed his fatigued army, and they shockingly also refused him.

(9) And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."

Gideon spoke to the men of Penuel with the same righteous anger as he had spoken to the men of Succoth and told them that when he had returned their way in peace after conquering all his enemies, he would break down a tower in their city.

(10) Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the hosts of the children of the east, for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew sword.

The kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, were in a place called Karkor, the location of which is not known by the Biblical scholars I study.  All their armies of men were with them, about 15,000, which was all that were left of the original armies, as 120,000 of those who had fought against Israel had fallen.

(11) And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and struck the host, for the host was secure.

Gideon and his small army went by the way of the wilderness where the Arabians dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, which were in the tribes of Manasseh and Gad, respectively.  They were able to strike the Midianites because their guard was down as they felt secure in their location.

(12) And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

Gideon's army threw the Midianite host into a panic and the kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, fled, and Gideon pursued them and eventually took them.

(13) And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, (14) And caught a young man of the men of Succoth and enquired of him, and he described to him the princes of Succoth and the elders, seventy-seven men.

Gideon returned from battle before sun-up.  As he came to Succoth, he caught a young man of the city and questioned him about the chiefs of the city.  The young man described to him the princes and elders of the city, a total of seventy-seven men.

(15) And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, "Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you did upbraid me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men?'" (16) And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

Gideon then went to the elders of Succoth and told them that he now had Zebah and Zalmunna in his hand, and reminded them about how they had refused to give his weary men bread when they noted that he did not yet have the kings in his custody and insinuated that his small army never would have them (verse 6).  He then took the elders of the city and with the thorns and briers of the wilderness, taught them a lesson.  We often learn the best lessons through adversity.  Actually, the Hebrew characters for the word translated as "taught" are very similar to the characters translated as "tore," and as the latter agrees with what Gideon said he would do to the men in verse 7, it is likely that is what is meant here.

(17) And he beat down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

Gideon, true to his word (verse 8), also went to Penuel and beat down its tower.  He also killed men of the city, probably only the ones who tried to stop him from tearing down the tower.

(18) Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner of men whom you killed at Tabor?" And they answered, "As you, so they; each one resembled the son of a king."

Gideon then asked the kings what manner of men they had killed at Mount Tabor.  That particular event was not detailed in scripture, but I imagine it took place sometime after the Israelites had been forced to hide out in dens they made in the mountains (Judges 6:2).  The kings replied that they were like Gideon himself, and that each one looked like the son of a king, probably meaning they were graceful and dignified even in the lowly state to which they were relegated.

(19) And he said, "They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."

Gideon told the kings that they had been his brethren whom they had killed.  He added "the sons of my mother" to indicate he did not mean brethren in the larger sense, but these were his immediate family.  He added that had the kings saved his brethren alive, he would not have killed them, but the logical conclusion is that because they had killed his brothers, he would kill them.

(20) And he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Up, kill them!" But the youth did not draw his sword for he was afraid because he was still a youth.

Gideon called on Jether, his firstborn son, to slay the kings, perhaps to give him honor for avenging his family's blood, but he was young and afraid and did not draw his sword.

(21) Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall on us, for as the man, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took away the ornaments on their camels' necks.

If they must die, the kings asked that Gideon do it.  Perhaps they feared that the strength of the youth would not be enough to kill them at once and instantly put them out of their misery.  They might have died a lingering and painful death at the hands of Jether.  Gideon did indeed rise up and kill the kings, and he took the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

(22) Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and your son's son also, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."

The men of Israel then asked that Gideon and his son rule over them, as well as their posterity after them.  Their reasoning for wanting him to be as a king over them was because he had delivered them from the hand of the Midianites.  Indeed, God had used Gideon to deliver His people from the Midianites, but it was obviously God Himself who had done the delivering.  How else could three hundred men defeat 135,000 (verse 10)?  The Lord was their King and had always defended and protected them, but they were awed by the success of a man who was merely God's instrument.

(23) And Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you."

Gideon, in fact, did tell the people that neither he nor his son would agree to rule over them.  Only the Lord God of Israel would rule over them.

(24) And Gideon said to them, "I would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

However, Gideon did make another request of them.  If they wanted to do something for him, they could give him the earrings of their prey.  They had golden earrings of the Ishmaelites who were spoken of here as the same as the Midianites.  The Ishmaelites were the progeny of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and the maidservant Hagar.  Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness where an angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and told her that Ishmael would become a great nation.  Genesis 16:12 said that Ishmael would be a wild man with his hand against every man, and he would dwell in the presence of his brethren.  The Ishmaelites at this time resided in Moab next to the Midianites, and as Arabs, they wore earrings and nose-rings.

(25) And they answered, "We will willingly give." And they spread a garment and cast in it every man the earrings of his prey.

The people told Gideon they would willingly give their golden earrings.  They spread out a garment and every man put his earrings into it.

(26) And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred gold, besides ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that had been on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains about their camels' necks.

The weight of the golden earrings gathered totaled 1700 weights of gold.  Most of the Bible translations added the word "shekels," but the original does not say what standard was used.  Even if it were measured in shekels, there is not a consensus as to exactly how much that would be. The word "shekel" itself just means "weight."  I've seen among the commentators I study estimates of 43 to 100 pounds of gold that was gathered just from the golden earrings.  The people also collected ornaments, collars, and purple raiment from the kings of Midian, as well as the chains from the camels' necks. 

(27) And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went there a whoring after it, which thing became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

Gideon made a golden ephod out of all the gold.  An ephod was an apron like vestment worn on the outside of the clothing.  With it being perhaps 100 pounds in weight, Gideon did not wear it but placed it in his city of Ophrah as a monument of his victories.  The people made an idol of it, which is the meaning of "a whoring" in the Bible.  They committed adultery and worshiped a false god or idol of the golden ephod.  Thus it became a snare to Gideon and his house.  At the very least, it seems that calling for all that gold to make an ephod that would be set up as a kind of trophy, was an act of pride.  And Gideon was responsible for making that idol that the people would begin to worship.

(28) Thus was Midian subdued 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.

The Midianites were subdued by the Lord using the hand of Gideon and his small army, and they did not regain their strength.  Israel had peace for forty years during the days of Gideon.

(29) And Jerub-Baal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.  

After his victory, Gideon, here called by the name his father Joash had given him, Jerub-Baal (Judges 6:32), went back to his house and dwelled there.

(30) And Gideon had seventy sons begotten of his body, for he had many wives. (31) And his concubine in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Gideon had a total of seventy sons because he had many wives.  He also had a concubine who did not live in his house in Ophrah but lived in Shechem.  She also bore him a son whom he called Abimelech.

(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 Abiezrites.

Gideon lived a long life and died at a good old age.  He was buried in his father's sepulcher in his city, Ophrah, in the family of the Abiezrites.

(33) And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after the Baals and made Baal-Berith their god.

It seems the Israelites wasted no time returning to their wicked ways after the death of Gideon.  They started worshipping the various Baals, the false gods of the Canaanites, eventually making Baal-Berith their ultimate god.

(34) And the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side. 

The children of Israel did not remember their Lord God to worship Him; they did not remember how He had delivered them from the hands of their enemies time and time again.  We might find this hard to believe that the Israelites could actually turn from their Lord after all the things He had done for them, after all His love and mercy and providence.  However, if we look honestly within ourselves, we will see how we might not pray as much or think about God as much when things are going well.  We begin to spend more time on things other than God, and those things become idols, as the very definition of "idol" is any person or thing regarded with admiration and adoration.

(35) Neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerub-Baal, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

It appears that the people also did not show any kindness or gratitude to the family of Gideon after all Gideon had done for them in allowing himself to be used by God to deliver his people from the Midianites.

As so often the case, we see in Gideon another flawed person who God used to do great things.  Why wouldn't this be the running theme throughout the whole Bible when we know that all humans are flawed and sinful (Ecclesiastes 7:20)?  Gideon seemed to be at the very least not very confident in himself as God's choice to deliver Israel.  He needed multiple signs from God to bolster his courage; however, that was not seen by God as a lack of faith in Him, but perhaps just in himself to discern whether or not he was truly hearing from God.  He was sometimes fearful (Judges 7:10).  It seems he became a little prideful after his victory.  Although he did refuse kingship offered by the people, he requested they give him lots of gold with which he made an elaborate golden ephod that stood as a monument to his success.  He had multiple wives and a concubine in another city, which was common in his day, but certainly can't be considered as a sign of model moral character.  Gideon was certainly not the worst of characters; he was just human with some of the human characteristics that befall us all.  However, that should give us all hope and encouragement that God can use us, and He will meet us where we are in life, and He will supply us with all things necessary to carry out His will for us.  Amen!