GIDEON’S PUSUIT

Passage: Judges 8:1-21

Key verse: 4

NIV

Zebah and Zalmunna

8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)”(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)

2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”

6 But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)

7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

13 Gideon son of Joash(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(U) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(V) the elders(W) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(X)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(Z) and killed the men of the town.(AA)

18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(AB)”

“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”

19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(AC) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments(AD) off their camels’ necks.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

8 (A)Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not (B)the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 (C)God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” (D)Then their anger[a] against him subsided when he said this.

4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and (E)the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of (F)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, (G)“Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, (H)that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, (I)I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to (J)Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, (K)“When I come again in peace, (L)I will break down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of (M)the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men (N)who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of (O)Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt (P)secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them (Q)and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, (R)‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 (S)And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at (T)Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. (U)As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and (V)killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took (W)the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 8:3 Hebrew their spirit
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon. They challenged him for not including them in the battle. Gideon didn’t fight with them. He was humble, and he commended them for their accomplishments.

Gideon and his men were exhausted, but they were pursuing the kings of Midian. When the officials of Sukkoth and the men of Peniel refused to give them food, Gideon promised retribution, but first he pursued the armies of Midian and captured their kings. Gideon was not dissuaded from obeying the Lord.

When Gideon returned, he did not forget those who failed to provide provisions. He punished the men of Sukkoth and Peniel. After that he dealt with the kings of Midian. They had oppressed Israel, killing many of those close to Gideon. Gideon finished serving God’s salvation work by executing the kings of Midian.

Prayer: Lord, help me to pursue you in all things. Help me not to be distracted, but rather to serve you in all things.

One Word: Serve God to the end