Judges 8:6-10

Judges 8:6

And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

 

The leaders of Succoth were being very uncaring toward Gideon and his men as they basically are refusing them any sustenance unless they can prove themselves by capturing the two princes of Midian.  They knew that Gideon had not yet captured them and he wanted to continue to pursue them until they were captured and executed but his men were becoming exhausted not having any sleep, food, or water since beginning this battle.

 

Judges 8:7

And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

 

Succoth was in a place where there were many briers and thorn bushes in the wilderness and the men of Succoth would have known what Gideon meant when he stated that after the Lord hands the two princes into his hands, then he is going to come back and take retribution on them for not helping out by giving his men victuals.  In other words, they would be killed for their refusal to help Gideon.

 

Judges 8:8

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

 

Penuel was about 5 miles (8 km) east of Succoth.  It was previously called “Peniel” which means “face or vision of God.”  Genesis 32:30 (KJV)   And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.  It is the place where Jacob had wrestled with God until He gave him a blessing and where his name was changed to “Israel.”  The chief men of Penuel also had the same attitude as those at Succoth and refused to give Gideon and his men any victuals.  A 5 mile ride by car is quick but by horseback, it would be a much longer journey which means they would have been really suffering from food and water deprivation.

 

Judges 8:9

And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

 

Gideon was telling them that once he has captured his enemy and the threat to Israel has been eliminated, he will return and as he said to the men of Succoth, he will return with a vengeance and will destroy a tower which they had built that was probably the tallest structure they had which was used for a lookout to see any approaching enemy.  It seems their assurance was based in that tower and that is why Gideon had focused in on it.  It was somehow tied to their defense system and thought that they would be invincible because of it.

 

Judges 8:10

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, 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.

 

The name “Zebah” means “victim” and the name “Zalmunna” means “shadow or image.”  Karkor was about 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Penuel.  They must have done some hard riding to make that distance so quickly.  It is amazing when you think of it.  The Lord had put so much fear in the Midianites that 15,000 men had feared a band of 300 men.  I guess the fact that 120,000 of their army were killed by their own hands had something to do with it.  There was probably much tension among the three factions in that army of the Midianites, Amalekites, and Arabians.

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