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Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Constable has an interesting note - Gideon's severe punishment of the men of these towns was just. They had selfishly refused to assist God's appointed judge in His holy war for Yahweh's glory and His people's good. They had also shown contempt for the soldiers God had signally honored with supernatural victory. It was Gideon's duty as a judge in Israel to punish these compromising and selfish cities. The severity of his punishment doubtless impressed the other Israelites with the seriousness of their offense. However, one cannot miss the contrast between Gideon's impatience and ruthlessness with the Israelites and Yahweh's patience and grace with His people. Daniel Block - "Gideon's behavior could be justified if Penuel were a Canaanite city, but these were fellow Israelites! His character has been transformed again-he acted like a general out of control, no longer bound by rules of civility, let alone national loyalty." (Borrow this top rated commentary Judges, Ruth. Vol. 6: New American Commentary) TECHNICAL NOTES ON THIS VERSE NET Translation - He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then "threshed" the men of Succoth with them. (Jdg 8:16NET) NET Note - The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX [ED COMMENT - one version of Lxx has "kataxaino" = tear to shreds, literally comb, card - see Lawson G Stone below], the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in Jdg 8:7. The Massoretic Text reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.” Lawson G Stone has an interesting note on this discipline/threshing incident - The torture in view is known as "carding," (Wikipedia) and involves ripping the victims' flesh with a sharp instrument, in this case, thorns of the wilderness. Traditional carding was performed with the combs used for preparing wool for spinning, which had rows of metal teeth several inches long (Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "card"; Moore 1895:224-226). That Gideon used thorns, not metal combs, suggests he intended reproof, not execution, and befits the verb rendered by the NLT's "taught them a lesson," which could be translated lit. "made them know." The LXX has the excruciating katexanen autous (he shredded them). The NLT adds "punishing them" for clarity. The citizens of Succoth and Peniel, as Israelites, had an obligation of solidarity with Gideon and his band in resisting the Midianites (contra Soggin 1981:156). As a responsible wartime leader, Gideon could not allow Israelite towns to break covenant with impunity and stand with Israel's enemies. (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Joshua, Judges, Ruth ) Judges 8:17 And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. Jdg 8:9 1Ki 12:25 Judges 8 Resources PENUEL'S PUNISHMENT EXCEEDS ORIGINAL THREAT And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city - This punishment is actually more than he had promised in Jdg 8:9. The word nathats is same one used when Gideon "broke down" the altar of Baal (Jdg 6:31, 32+). Some (like Spurgeon below) think he did not literally kill all the men but just the leading men or elders (those who would have been more likely to refuse him food), but we cannot be certain. In any event this is a severe treatment.
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Constable has an interesting thought - Gideon probably would not have applied the lex talionis as he did here if his brothers had died in battle. The Midianite kings had evidently murdered them. It is interesting to read other "softer" comments like the ESV Study note which says "Holy war, which is to be fought at God’s command for the protection of the whole people, gives no warrant for this kind of personal vengeance." (Borrow ESV study Bible for an hour) John MacArthur on the other hand writes "Gideon desired to place a great honor on his son by killing the enemies of Israel and of God." (See MacArthur Study Bible or borrow a copy of The MacArthur study Bible) Judges 8:21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks. Rise up yourself Jdg 9:54 1Sa 31:3,5 Rev 9:6 So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna: Ps 83:11 ornaments: or, ornaments like the moon, Isa 3:18 Judges 8 Resources Related Passage: Psalms 83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, Isaiah 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna: Since Jether shunned this gruesome task, the kings quickly pointed out that this was a man's job which in that culture would be more honorable and less painful way to die because of Gideon's renown as a warrior. The charge to Gideon by the kings to rise up and fall on us (two commands) implies they knew they were guilty of killing his brothers. Another consideration is that in the honor-shame culture of the middle east, death at the hands of a boy or even worse a woman was considered a disgrace (thus Sisera's disgrace in Jdg 5:24-27+; see Jdg 9:54+). One final thought is these kings would rather have an experienced swordsman carry out the quick execution and avoid the even more agonizing death that might result from an inexperienced swordsman. Gideon complied with their final request and slew the kings much like Samuel slew King Agag since King Saul had refused to obey that order (1Sa 15:33). One recalls the umbrage taken by Goliath at having a mere boy sent out to fight him (1Sa 17:41-43). And took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks: The crescent ornaments were presumably moon shaped and the moon in its first quarter was a religious symbol from earliest times and even in the worship of Astarte. Years later the women of Zion engaged in idolatrous veneration of moon gods, which Isaiah prophesied would cause their fine jewelry, including crescent-shaped ornaments, to be snatched away by the Lord (Isa. 3:18). It is interesting that Gideon chose the the royal ornaments of the two kings. Since this was not herem (all spoils devoted to God) warfare, spoils were fair game, but one still wonders about Gideon's choice. Could this have been a sign of the beginning to erode Gideon's character? Since these were the king's ornaments, they undoubtedly were precious metals like gold or silver. Gideon would not be the first leader brought down by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life (1Jn 2:15-17)! Arthur Cundall comments that "Such crescents are mentioned in the Bible only in this chapter and Isaiah 3:18, but crescent-moon-shaped ornaments have been found at many excavated sites in Palestine. They are widely used by Arab peoples up to the present day." (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) Judges 8:22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." Rule: Jdg 9:8-15 1Sa 8:5 1Sa 12:12 Jn 6:15 Judges 8 Resources Related Passage: 1 Samuel 12:12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although the LORD your God was your king. Deuteronomy 33:5+ “And He (YAHWEH) was king in Jeshurun (ISRAEL), When the heads of the people were gathered, The tribes of Israel together. ISRAELITES SEEK GIDEON TO BE THEIR KING Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son: The fact that this is the men of Israel calling for a Gideon to rule suggests that to some degree Gideon's sword had brought some degree of unity to the nation of Israel. And what a change from the friction in Jdg 8:1-3 and the defiance in Jdg 8:4-9! Their desire for a king would persist and surface again when the prophet Samuel was aging the people of Israel saying to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”(1Sa 8:5) After winning a great victory, we must always beware of the temptation to sin, for Satan attacks us subtly when we least expect it. The nation asked Gideon to become their Ruler and to establish a dynasty (your son, also your son's son) but he refused. This is the first recorded attempt to establish a hereditary monarchy in Israel. I agree with Arthur Cundall's assessment of Gideon's refusal - "Gideon’s reply was a model of noble unselfishness which recognized the essential fact that the nation had a king if they would only acknowledge him. Their king was Yahweh, who was all to them and more than the kings of other nations were to their subjects (cf. 1 Sam. 10:19). The government in Israel was essentially a theocracy, not a monarchy, and even when the monarchy was introduced it was qualified by this consideration. Gideon’s action in resolutely thrusting from him the prospect of personal advancement was exemplary and merits the highest praise.However, not all scholars have accepted the transparent meaning of verse 23 that Gideon refused the monarchy. (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) Lawson G Stone argues against this call to rule over us as a call for a king "The standard Hebrew root expressing kingship, malak (04427) (reign), does not appear, but some commentators simply force the translation "reign over us" on the text (Boling 1975:159; Block 1999:297). Instead, the writer uses mashal, a word covering a semantic range far broader than the reigning of kings, and not especially characteristic of royal rule. If the writer wanted to zero in on kingship as his main interest, he chose the wrong word. Inherited rule does not imply monarchy. (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Joshua, Judges, Ruth )