8:35 Neither {r} shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.(r) They were unmindful of God and unkind to him, by whom they had received so great a benefit. read more
GRIEVOUS WORDS AND A SOFT ANSWER (vv. 1-3) But the men of Ephraim were resentful that Gideon had called them so late rather than when he began his campaign against Midian (v.1). They did not stop to consider that it was God who ordered the assault on Midian.They probably did not know that God had reduced the army to 300 rather than increasing it by the inclusion of Ephraim.Gideon could have pointed these things out to them, but instead he took a wiser way of using a soft answer to turn away... read more
GIDEON AND THE MIDIANITES The old story of sin and suffering is repeated after the death of Deborah. The Midianites occupied territory on the south and east, contiguous to Moab, and were wandering herdsmen like the modern Bedouins, who, in connection with the Amalekites, harassed Israel at every opportunity with the results indicated in Judges 6:1-6 . God sends a prophet to His people in this case before He sends a Savior (Judges 6:7-10 ), for they must be brought to repentance before... read more
Gideon Judges 6-8 AT the close of the song of Deborah "the land had rest forty years." The sixth chapter begins with the usual black line: "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord." These comings and goings of evil in human history seem to be fated. Men never get so clear away from evil as never to come back again to it; at any moment the course of life may be reversed, and the altar, the vow, the song, and the prayer may be forgotten like vanished summers. This makes the... read more
Observe how they forgot God, and how should they be grateful to man! How beautifully doth the Psalmist introduce to view, the wonderful goodness of God, when from the very sins of his people, the Lord takes occasion to display the riches of his grace. Psalms 106:0 throughout, but particularly from Psalms 106:34 , to the end. read more
REFLECTIONS MY soul! pause over the review of this chapter. Call to mind the wonderful mercies shown to Israel, as related in the former chapter, and then behold the issue of divine deliverances, in the shameful departure of Israel to idolatry. My soul! art thou not astonished at the view of such perfidy? Couldst thou have believed, that there dwelt in the human heart, such vileness and corruption? When, my soul, thou hast duly contemplated the church of God of old, look at the church of Jesus... read more
Mercy is here put for many virtues: gratitude, justice, kindness, &c. (Menochius) --- The Israelites did not take care to provide for (Calmet) the family of one who had rendered them such essential services. (Haydock) read more
29-35 As soon as Gideon was dead, who kept the people to the worship of the God of Israel, they found themselves under no restraint; then they went after Baalim, and showed no kindness to the family of Gideon. No wonder if those who forget their God, forget their friends. Yet conscious of our own ingratitude to the Lord, and observing that of mankind in general, we should learn to be patient under any unkind returns we meet with for our poor services, and resolve, after the Divine example, not... read more
The Consequences of the Campaign v. 22. Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son also, they wanted to establish a hereditary kingdom with their great deliverer at their head, as the founder of a royal dynasty; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. v. 23. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you. Gideon did not feel himself called upon to found... read more
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Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Judges 8:1-35
CHAPTER 8 Internal Strife, Gideon’s Failure and End 1. The strife (Judges 8:1-9 ) 2. The complete deliverance (Judges 8:10-21 ) 3. Gideon’s failure and end (Judges 8:22-32 ) 4. Israel’s failure after Gideon (Judges 8:33-35 ) Internal strife follows. The two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, were slain (Judges 7:25 ). Oreb means “raven” and Zeeb means “wolf.” Oreb, the raven, is slain on the rock and Zeeb, the wolf, at the winepress. The raven, the bird which represents darkness and... read more