4 Then Gideon came to Jordan and went over it with his three hundred, overcome with weariness and in need of food.
And they took the two chiefs of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they put Oreb to death at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they put to death at the place of the grape-crushing in Zeeb, and they went after Midian; but the heads of Oreb and Zeeb they took across Jordan to Gideon.
Then one of the people said to him, Your father put the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes any food this day. And the people were feeble, needing food. Then Jonathan said, My father has made trouble come on the land: now see how bright my eyes have become because I have taken a little of this honey.
That day they overcame the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were feeble from need of food. And rushing at the goods taken in the fight, the people took oxen and sheep and young oxen, and put them to death there on the earth, and had a meal, taking the flesh with the blood in it.
And David, with four hundred men, went on: but two hundred of them were overcome with weariness, and not able to go across the stream.
Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them; We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help;
And let us not get tired of well-doing; for at the right time we will get in the grain, if we do not give way to weariness.
For this reason, as we are circled by so great a cloud of witnesses, putting off every weight, and the sin into which we come so readily, let us keep on running in the way which is marked out for us, Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power. Give thought to him who has undergone so much of the hate of sinners against himself, so that you may not be tired and feeble of purpose. Till now you have not given your blood in your fight against sin:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 8
Commentary on Judges 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
This chapter gives us a further account of Gideon's victory over the Midianites, with the residue of the story of his life and government.
Jdg 8:1-3
No sooner were the Midianites, the common enemy, subdued, than, through the violence of some hot spirits, the children of Israel were ready to quarrel among themselves; an unhappy spark was struck, which, if Gideon had not with a great deal of wisdom and grace extinguished immediately, might have broken out into a flame of fatal consequence. The Ephraimites, when they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon as general, instead of congratulating him upon his successes and addressing him with thanks for his great services, as they ought to have done, picked a quarrel with him and grew very hot upon it.
Now what was the issue of this controversy? The Ephraimites had chidden with him sharply (v. 1), forgetting the respect due to their general and one whom God had honoured, and giving vent to their passion in a very indecent liberty of speech, a certain sign of a weak and indefensible cause. Reason runs low when the chiding flies high. But Gideon's soft answer turned away their wrath, Prov. 15:1. Their anger was abated towards him, v. 3. It is intimated that they retained some resentment, but he prudently overlooked it and let it cool by degrees. Very great and good men must expect to have their patience tried by the unkindnesses and follies even of those they serve and must not think it strange.
Jdg 8:4-17
In these verses we have,
Jdg 8:18-21
Judgment began at the house of God, in the just correction of the men of Succoth and Penuel, who were Israelites, but it did not end there. The kings of Midian, when they had served to demonstrate Gideon's victories, and grace his triumphs, must now be reckoned with.
Jdg 8:22-28
Here is,
Jdg 8:29-35
We have here the conclusion of the story of Gideon.