Judges 8:20 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 8:18-21

Judgment began at the house of God, in the just correction of the men of Succoth and Penuel, who were Israelites, but it did not end there. The kings of Midian, when they had served to demonstrate Gideon's victories, and grace his triumphs, must now be reckoned with. 1. They are indicted for the murder of Gideon's brethren some time ago at Mount Tabor. When the children of Israel, for fear of the Midianites, made themselves dens in the mountains (Jdg. 6:2), those young men, it is likely, took... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 8:20

And he said unto Jether, his firstborn, up, and slay them ,.... Being the near kinsman of his father's brethren, whom these kings had slain, was a proper person to avenge their blood on them; and the rather Gideon might order him to do it, for the greater mortification of the kings, to die by the hand of a youth; and for the honour of his son, to be the slayer of two kings, and to inure him to draw his sword against the enemies of Israel, and embolden him to do such exploits: but the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 8:20

He said unto Jether his first-born - By the ancient laws of war, prisoners taken in war might be either slain, sold, or kept for slaves. To put a captive enemy to death no executioner was required. Gideon slays Zebah and Zalmunna with his own hand. So Samuel is said to have hewn Agag in pieces, 1 Samuel 15:33 . Benaiah slew Joab, 1 Kings 2:25 . Saul orders his guards to slay the priests who had contributed to the escape of David, 1 Samuel 22:17 ; and David caused one of his... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 8:20

It was Gideon’s place to act the part of the “avenger of blood” Numbers 35:12; Deuteronomy 19:6. The fierce manners of the age break out in the slaying of the captives (compare 1 Samuel 15:32-33), and in Gideon’s attempt to initiate his youthful son Jether in the stern work of slaying his country’s enemies. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 8:20

Judges 8:20. He said unto Jether, Up, and slay them Some think he said this to animate his son to the use of arms for his God and country, and that he might have a share in the honour of the victory. It must be observed, that it was not unusual or disgraceful for great persons to do execution upon offenders in ancient times; no more than it was to sentence them to death: and therefore they had not, as now, public executioners; but Saul commanded such as waited on him to kill the priests;... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 8:1-35

Deliverance under Gideon (7:1-8:35)God allowed Gideon only three hundred men to launch the attack against the Midianites, so that Israel might know that victory was not by military power but by God’s power (7:1-8). A Midianite soldier’s dream showed that an unnatural fear had come upon the Midianites. When he dreamt that a poor man’s loaf of barley overthrew a rich man’s tent, he thought that poverty-stricken Israel would overthrow Midian’s army. The Midianites could, in fact, have wiped out... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 8:20

20. he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them—The nearest of kin was the blood-avenger; but a magistrate might order any one to do the work of the executioner; and the person selected was always of a rank equal or proportioned to that of the party doomed to suffer ( :-). Gideon intended, then, by the order to Jether, to put an honor on his son, by employing him to slay two enemies of his country; and on the youth declining, he performed the bloody deed himself. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:1-32

1. The story of Gideon 6:1-8:32Paul Tanner pointed out that the Gideon narrative consists of five primary structural sections."The first section (Judges 6:1-10) provides the introduction and setting before Gideon’s debut, the second section (Judges 6:11-32) gives the commissioning of Gideon as deliverer of Israel, the third section (Judges 6:33 to Judges 7:18) presents the preparation for the battle, the fourth section (Judges 7:19 to Judges 8:21) recounts the defeat of the Midianite army, and... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:18-21

The execution of the Midianite kings 8:18-21Gideon took his prisoners back to Ophrah where the following events evidently took place. The Midianite kings had apparently executed Gideon’s brothers sometime before the recent battle, perhaps during one of the Midianites’ previous raids. It seems that Gideon was unable to avenge his brothers’ deaths then due, most likely, to the Midianites’ superiority. Now Gideon had the upper hand.Gideon appears to have been an imposing person physically. The... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:19-21

The defeat of the Midianites 7:19-8:21Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites took some time and involved some conflict with the other Israelites. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 8:18-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 8:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 8:20

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 8:20

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 8:20

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 8:1-35

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 8:20

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:1-32

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:18-21

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 8:19-21

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