Judges 8:9

‘And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” '

His response to the elders of Penuel was similar. They had a tower which was the strongpoint of the town, in which they took great pride. This suggests that the town guarded an important pass, a fact supported by the fact that Jeroboam later fortified it (1 Kings 12:25). When he returned he would destroy this fortified tower along with these men who had refused sustenance to their covenant brothers. Penuel means ‘the face of God' which makes this even more poignant (see Genesis 32:26). They had turned their backs on the face of God.