Judges 8:18

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons of a king.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”

Hebrew Names Version
Then said he to Zevach and Tzalmunnah, What manner of men were they whom you killed at Tavor? They answered, As you are, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

King James Version
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

Lexham English Bible
And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What type were the men whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you; each one of them had the appearance of the sons of the king."

English Standard Version
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king."

New Century Version
Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What were the men like that you killed on Mount Tabor?" They answered, "They were like you. Each one of them looked like a prince."

New English Translation
He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Describe for me the men you killed at Tabor." They said, "They were like you. Each one looked like a king's son."

Amplified Bible
Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they replied, "They were like you, each one of them resembled the son of a king."

New American Standard Bible
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where were the men whom you killed at Tabor?" But they said, "You and they were alike, each one resembling the son of a king."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide he vnto Zebah & Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.

Legacy Standard Bible
that they were saying to you, "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts."

Contemporary English Version
Then Gideon said, "Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor." "They were a lot like you," the two kings answered. "They were dignified, almost like royalty."

Complete Jewish Bible
Then he said to Zevach and Tzalmuna, "Tell me about the men you killed at Tavor." They answered, "They looked like you, like a king's sons."

Darby Translation
Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "You killed some men on Mount Tabor. What were the men like?" Zebah and Zalmunna answered, "They were like you. Each one of them seemed like a prince."

George Lamsa Translation
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom you slew at Tabor? They said to him, They were like yourself, they resembled the sons of kings.

Good News Translation
Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What about the men you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "They looked like you—every one of them like the son of a king."

Literal Translation
And he said to Zebah and to Zalmunna, How were the men whom you killed in Tabor? And they said, As you are , so they; each one as a king's son in appearance.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he saide vnto Zebea and Salmana: What maner of me were they who ye slewe at Thabor? They sayde: They were euen like the, & goodly men, as yf they had bene a kynges childre.

American Standard Version
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

Bible in Basic English
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, Where are the men whom you put to death at Tabor? And they gave answer, As you are, so were they; every one of them was like a king's son.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And then sayde he vnto Zebah and Zalmana: What maner of men were they whom ye slue at Thabor? And they aunswered: The lykenesse of thee and them is al one, eue after the fashion of the children of a kyng.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna: 'Where are the men whom ye slew at Tabor?' And they answered: 'As thou art, so were they; of one form with the children of a king.'

King James Version (1611)
Then said he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they, ech one resembled the children of a king.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where are the men whom ye slew in Thabor? and they said, As thou, so were they, according to the likeness of the son of a king.

English Revised Version
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

Berean Standard Bible
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "Men like you," they answered, "each one resembling the son of a king."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to Zebee and Salmana, What maner men weren thei, whiche ye killiden in Thabor? Whiche answeriden, Thei weren lijk thee, and oon of hem was as the sone of a kyng.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, `How -- the men whom ye slew in Tabor?' and they say, `As thou -- so they, one -- as the form of the king's sons.'

Update Bible Version
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom you slew at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so they were; each one resembled the sons of a king.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were they] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], so [were] they; each one resembled the children of a king.

World English Bible
Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom you killed at Tabor? They answered, As you are, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

New King James Version
And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" So they answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king."

New Living Translation
Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?" "Like you," they replied. "They all had the look of a king's son."

New Life Bible
Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you. Each one looked like the son of a king."

New Revised Standard
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What about the men whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they, whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of them as the son of a king.

Revised Standard Version
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmun'na, "Where are the men whom you slew at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king."

THE MESSAGE
He then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed at Tabor." "They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king."

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons of a king. ¹⁹ And he said: My brethren, sons of my mother, they were! As Yahweh liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not have slain you. ²⁰ So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth. ²¹ Then said Zebah and Zalmunna - Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Tabor: Judges 4:6, Psalms 89:12

As thou art: Psalms 12:2, Jude 1:16

resembled: Heb. according to the form of, etc

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 10:3 - Tabor 1 Samuel 16:6 - Surely 2 Kings 1:7 - What manner of man was he Isaiah 3:3 - the honourable man Ezekiel 23:15 - all of Daniel 1:4 - in whom James 1:24 - what

Cross-References

Psalms 121:8
Yahweh, will keep thy going out and thy coming in, from henceforth, even unto times age-abiding.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna,.... Not at Penuel or Succoth, but when he had brought them into the land of Canaan, and perhaps to his own city Ophrah:

what manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? Mount Tabor, to which these men had betaken and hid themselves, in some caves and dens there: see Judges 6:2 and these kings some little time before the battle had taken them, and slew them, of which it seems Gideon had notice; and some of his brethren being not to be found, he suspected they were the persons, and therefore asked this question:

and they answered, as thou art, so were they; very much like him in countenance and stature, stout, able bodied men, of a graceful and majestic appearance. Abarbinel takes it to be a curse on Gideon, be thou, or thou shalt be, as they are; as they died by the hand of the Midianites, so shalt thou; but the former sense seems best, and agrees with what follows:

each one resembled the children of a king; being brought up in a delicate manner, as these persons seemed to have been: according to Jarchi and Kimchi, the sense is, they were like him, and had all one and the same form and lovely aspect, resembling kings' children; but according to Ben Gersom they were in general very much like Gideon, and one of them was like his children, who were then present, particularly his eldest son, as appears from Judges 8:20. It is said in the Misnah a all the Israelites are the children of kings.

a Sabbat, c. 14. sect. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What manner of men - literally, “Where are the men?” The sense, “what manner of men”, is merely gathered from the tenor of the answer. Gideon doubtless knew that his brethren had been killed by Zebah and Zalmunna, and the desire of avenging their death was one motive for his impetuous pursuit and attack. His question was rather a taunt, a bitter reproach to his captives, preparing them for their fate. Zebah and Zalmunna, in their answer, did not give evidence against themselves. Their hope was by a flattering answer to soothe Gideon’s wrath.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 8:18. What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? — We have no antecedent to this question; and are obliged to conjecture one: it seems as if Zebah and Zalmunna had massacred the family of Gideon, while he was absent on this expedition. Gideon had heard some confused account of it, and now questions them concerning the fact. They boldly acknowledge it, and describe the persons whom they slew, by which he found they were his own brethren. This determines him to avenge their death by slaying the Midianitish kings, whom he otherwise was inclined to save. He might have heard that his brethren had been taken prisoners, and might have hoped to have exchanged them for the kings now in his hand; but when he found they had been all slain, he decrees the death of their murderers. There is something in this account similar to that in the 12th AEneis of Virgil: - When Turnus was overthrown, and supplicated for his life, and AEneas was inclined to spare him; he saw the belt of his friend Pallas, whom Turnus had slain, and which he now wore as a trophy: this immediately determined the Trojan to sacrifice the life of Turnus to the manes of his friend. The story is well told: -

Stetit acer in armis

AEneas, volvens oculos, dextramque repressit.

Et jam jamque magis cunctantem flectere sermo

Coeperat: infelix humero cum apparuit ingens

Balteus, et notis fulserunt cingula bullis

Pallantis pueri; victum quem vulnere Turnus

Straverat, atque humeris inimicum insigne gerebat.

Ille oculis postquam saevi monumenta doloris

Exuviasque hausit: furiis accensus et ira

Terribilis: Tune hinc spoliis indute meorum

Eripiare mihi?.-Pallas, te hoc vulnere Pallas

Immolat; et poenam scelerato ex sanguine sumit.

Hoc dicens furrum adverso sub pectore condit Fervidus.

VIRG. AEn. lib. xii., ver. 938.

"In deep suspense the Trojan seem'd to stand,

And, just prepared to strike, repress'd his hand.

He roll'd his eyes, and every moment felt

His manly soul with more compassion melt.

When, casting down a casual glance, he spied

The golden belt that glitter'd on his side;

The fatal spoils which haughty Turnus tore

From dying Pallas, and in triumph wore.

Then roused anew to wrath, he loudly cries,

(Flames, while he spoke, came flashing from his eyes,)

Traitor! dost thou! dost thou to grace pretend,

Clad, as thou art, in trophies of my friend? --

To his sad soul a grateful offering go;

'Tis Pallas, Pallas gives this deadly blow.

He rais'd his arm aloft; and at the word,

Deep in his bosom drove the shining sword."

DRYDEN.

The same principle impels Gideon to slay Zebah and Zalmunna which induced AEneas to kill Turnus: and perhaps the ornaments which he took from their camels' necks, Judges 8:21, were some of the spoils of his slaughtered brethren.