Chapter 8:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 8
Gideon pacifies the Ephraimites, ver. 1-3. Pursues the
Midianites, ver. 4-12. Chastises the men of Succoth and Penuel,
ver. 13-17. Slays the two kings of Midian, ver. 18-21. Declines
the government of Israel, ver. 22, 23. Makes an ephod, ver. 24-27.
Keeps the country quiet forty years, ver. 28. Dies, leaving a
numerous family, ver, 29-32. Israel quickly forget God and him,
ver. 33-35.
Verse 1. Why haft thou, &c. - Why hast thou neglected and despised us,
in not calling us in to thy help, as thou didst other tribes? These
were a proud people, puffed up with a conceit of their number and
strength, and the preference which Jacob gave them above
Manasseh, of which tribe Gideon was, who by this act had seemed
to advance his own tribe, and to depress theirs.
Verse 2. What have I, &c. - What I have done in cutting off some of the
common soldiers, is not to be compared with your destroying their
princes; I began the war, but you have finished. The gleaning -
What you have gleaned or done after me, Of Abiezer - That is, of
the Abiezrites, to whom he modestly communicates the honour of
the victory, and does not arrogate it to himself.
Verse 3. Was abated - His soft and humble answer allayed their rage.
Verse 4. Passed over - Or, had passed over. 6. Are the hands, &c. - Art
thou so foolish, to think with thy three hundred faint and weary
soldiers, to conquer and destroy an host of fifteen thousand Men?
Thus the bowels of their compassion were shut up against their
brethren. Were these Israelites! Surely they were worshippers of
Baal, or in the interest of Midian.
Verse 8. Penuel - Another city beyond Jordan; both were in the tribe of
Gad.
Verse 9. Your tower - Your confidence in which makes you thus proud
and presumptuous.
Verse 10. That drew sword - That is, persons expert and exercised in
war, besides the retainers to them.
Verse 11. That dwelt in tents - That is, of the Arabians, so fetching a
compass, and falling upon them where they least expected it. Was
secure - Being now got safe over Jordan, and a great way from the
place of battle; and probably, supposing Gideon's men to be so
tired with their hard service, that they would have neither strength
nor will to pursue them so far.
Verse 13. Before the sun was up - By which it might be gathered, that he
came upon them in the night, which was most convenient for him
who had so small a number with him; and most likely to terrify
them by the remembrance of the last Night's sad work.
Verse 14. He described - He told him their names and qualities.
Verse 17. Slew the men of the city - Not all of them; probably those only
who had affronted him.
Verse 18. What manner of men - For outward shape and quality. At
Tabor - Whither he understood they fled for shelter, upon the
approach of the Midianites; and where he learned that some were
slain, which he suspected might be them. Resembled - Not for
their garb, or outward splendour, but for the majesty of their
looks: by which commendation they thought to ingratiate
themselves with their conqueror.
Verse 19. I would not slay - For being not Canaanites, he was not
obliged to kill them; but they having killed his brethren, and that
in cool blood, he was by law the avenger of their blood.
Verse 20. Up, and slay - That he might animate him to the use of arms
for his God and country, and that he might have a share in the
honour of the victory.
Verse 21. So is his strength - Thou excellest him, as in age and stature,
so in strength; and it is more honourable to die by the hands of a
valiant man.
Verse 22. Rule - Not as a judge, for that he was already made by God;
but as a king. Thy son's son - Let the kingdom be hereditary to
thee, and to thy family. Thou hast delivered us - This miraculous
and glorious deliverance by thy hands deserves no less from us.
Verse 23. I will not rule - As a king. The Lord shall rule - In a special
manner, as he hath hitherto done, by Judges, whom God
particularly appointed and directed, even by Urim and Thummim,
and assisted upon all occasions; whereas Kings had only a general
dependance upon God.
Verse 24. Ishmaelites - A mixture of people all called by one general
name, Ishmaelites or Arabians, who used to wear ear-rings; but
the greatest, and the ruling part of them were Midianites.
Verse 27. Thereof - Not of all of it; for then it would have been too
heavy for use; but of part of it, the rest being probably employed
about other things appertaining to it; which elsewhere are
comprehended under the name of the ephod, as chap. xvii, 5. Put
it - Not as a monument of the victory, for such monuments were
neither proper nor usual; but for religious use, for which alone the
ephod was appointed. The case seems to be this; Gideon having
by God's command erected an altar in his own city, Ophrah, ch.
vi, 24, for an extraordinary time and occasion, thought it might be
continued for ordinary use; and therefore as he intended to
procure priests, so he designed to make priestly garments, and
especially an ephod, which was the chief and most costly; which
besides its use in sacred ministrations, was also the instrument by
which the mind of God was inquired and discovered, 1 Sam. xxvi,
6, 9, and it might seen necessary for the judge to have this at hand,
that he might consult with God upon all occasions. Went a
whoring - Committed idolatry with it; or went thither to inquire
the will of God; whereby they were drawn from the true ephod,
instituted by God for this end, which was to be worn by the high-
priest only. A snare - An occasion of sin and ruin to him and his,
as the next chapter sheweth. Though Gideon was a good man, and
did this with an honest mind, and a desire to set up religion in his
own city and family; yet here seem to be many sins in it;
1. Superstition and will-worship, worshipping God by a device of
his own, which was expressly forbidden.
2. Presumption, in wearing or causing other priests to wear this
kind of ephod, which was peculiar to the high-priest.
3. Transgression of a plain command, of worshipping God
ordinarily but at one place, and one altar, Deut. xii, 5, 11, 14.
4. Making a division among the people.
5. Laying a stumbling-block, or an occasion of idolatry before that
people, whom he knew to be too prone to it.
Verse 28. Lifted up their head - That is, recovered not their former
strength or courage, so as to conquer or oppress others. Forty
years - To the fortieth year, from the beginning of the Midianitish
oppression. The days, &c. - As long as Gideon lived.
Verse 29. His own house - Not in his father's house; as he did before;
nor yet in a court like a king, as the people desired; but in a
middle state, as a judge for the preservation and maintenance of
their religion and liberties.
Verse 31. Shechem - She dwelt there, and he often came thither, either
to execute judgment, or upon other occasions. Abimelech - That
is, my father the king; so he called him, probably, to gratify his
concubine, who desired it either out of pride, or design.
Verse 32. A good old age - His long life being crowned with the
continuance of honour, tranquility, and happiness.
Verse 33. As soon as, &c. - Whereby we see the temper of this people,
who did no longer cleave to God, than they were in a manner
constrained to it, by the presence and authority of their Judges.
Baalim - This was the general name including all their idols, one
of which here follows. Baal-berith - That is, the Lord of the
covenant; so called, either from the covenant wherewith the
worshippers of this God bound themselves to maintain his
worship, or to defend one another therein; or rather, because he
was reputed the God and judge of all covenants, and promises,
and contracts, to whom it belonged to maintain them, and to
punish the violaters of them; and such a God both the Grecians
and the Roman had.
Chapter 8:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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