Judges 8:14 WEB

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 8:14

(14) Caught a young man.—Comp. Judges 1:24.Described.—Marg. writ, i.e.: the boy wrote down their names (LXX., apegrapsato; Vulg., descripsit).Threescore and seventeen.—Perhaps a sort of local Sanhedrin of Seventy (Numbers 11:16), with their presiding sheykhs. The number shows that Succoth was a place of considerable importance. read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Judges 8:1-35

Judges 8:3 Sometimes men of great strength of will and purpose possess also in a high degree the gift of tact.... In nearly all administrative posts, in all the many fields of labour where the task of man is to govern, manage, or influence others, to adjust or harmonize antagonism of race or interests or prejudices, to carry through difficult business without friction and by skilful cooperation, this combination of gifts is supremely valuable. W. E. H. Lecky. Judges 8:4 In his Life of... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Judges 8:1-21

"MIDIAN’S EVIL DAY"Judges 7:8-25 - Judges 8:1-21THERE is now with Gideon a select band of three hundred, ready for a night attack on the Midianites. The leader has been guided to a singular and striking plan of action. It is, however, as he well knows, a daring thing to begin assault upon the immense camp of Midian with so small a band, even though reserves of nearly ten thousand wait to join in the struggle; and we can easily see that the temper and spirit of the enemy were important... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

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

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 8:1-35

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

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Judges 8:1-35

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

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Judges 8:1-35

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

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Judges 8:5-17

The men of Succoth, and of Penuel, were Israelites by descent, but sadly degenerated from the spirit of Israel. The Reader will recollect, however, that these things happened during the time of the commonwealth of Israel, when every man did according to his own corrupt desires. The Judges, which from time to time the Lord raised up among his people, served to keep alive the remembrance of the Lord, and to preserve a seed in the earth. See Judges 21:25 . read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Judges 8:13-17

13-17 The active servants of the Lord meet with more dangerous opposition from false professors than from open enemies; but they must not care for the behaviour of those who are Israelites in name, but Midianites in heart. They must pursue the enemies of their souls, and of the cause of God, though they are ready to faint through inward conflicts and outward hardships. And they shall be enabled to persevere. The less men help, and the more they seek to hinder, the more will the Lord assist.... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Judges 8:10-21

The End of Zebah and Zalmunna v. 10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, near the headwaters of the Jabbok, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the East; for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword, namely, in the battle in the Plain of Jezreel and in the pursuit. v. 11. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, the easternmost cities of Gad, ... read more