Bible Commentaries
Judges 8

Verse 1

chide. This was the beginning of the strife which ended in the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 12:0 ).

Verse 2

What . . . ? Is not. . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

Verse 3

God = Elohim delivered His creatures; not Jehovah the Covenant-God. App-4 .

anger. Hebrew. ruach, spirit ( App-9 ). Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the angry manifestations of it.

Verse 5

men = folk. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .

Verse 7

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah.

Verse 10

hosts = camps.

children. Hebrew sons.

Verse 11

host = camp.

Verse 15

Are . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

Verse 18

a = the.

Verse 21

ornaments = crescent-shaped ornaments used still on necks of horses and camels.

Verse 24

earrings. Hebrew. Nezem, Any ring worn in ear or nose = a nose ring in Genesis 24:47 . Proverbs 11:22 .Isaiah 3:21 .Ezekiel 16:12 ; and "earring" in Genesis 35:4 and Exodus 32:2 . Other passages doubtful (Judges 8:25 .Job 42:11 .Proverbs 25:12 .Hosea 2:13; Hosea 2:13 ).

because. This parenthetical remark solves the difficulty of Genesis 37:25 , Genesis 37:28 , Genesis 37:36 , and Genesis 39:1 . Ishmael and Midian were halfbrothers, sons of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah (Genesis 16:11 , Genesis 16:12 ; Genesis 25:1 , Genesis 25:2 ), All Midianites were Ishmaelites, but all Ishmaelites were not Midianites.

Verse 27

ephod. Probably the priests were lax in restoring the worship of the true God. So that Gideon would have meant well and desired to judge well. Compare Judges 17:5 , where Micah made another. The reason given being that "there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes", Judges 17:6 ; and Judges 18:5 , where it was used to "ask counsel"; and for the same reason, Judges 18:1 .

Verse 28

children = sons.

lifted up their heads no more = made no more attempts to vex.

was in quietness. See note on Judges 3:11 .