Jueces 8:18

Sagradas Escrituras

Luego dijo a Zeba y a Zalmuna: ¿Qué manera de hombres tenían aquellos que matasteis en Tabor? Y ellos respondieron: Como tú, tales eran aquellos ni más ni menos, que parecían hijos de rey.

Parallel Translations

La Biblia de las Americas
Después dijo a Zeba y a Zalmuna: ¿Qué clase de hombres eran los que matasteis en Tabor? Y ellos respondieron: Eran como tú, cada uno parecía hijo de rey.

La Biblia Reina-Valera
Luego dijo � Zeba y � Zalmunna: �Qu� manera de hombres ten�an aquellos que matasteis en Tabor? Y ellos respondieron: Como t�, tales eran aquellos ni m�s ni menos, que parec�an hijos de rey.

La Biblia Reina-Valera Gomez
Luego dijo a Zeba y a Zalmuna: �Qu� aspecto ten�an aquellos hombres que matasteis en Tabor? Y ellos respondieron: Como t�, as� eran ellos ni m�s ni menos, cada uno parec�a hijo de rey.

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

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.