Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary
Judges 8:21
As the man is, so is his strength: thou excellest him, as in age and stature, so in strength; and it is more honourable, as well as easy, to dig by the hands of a valiant man.
As the man is, so is his strength: thou excellest him, as in age and stature, so in strength; and it is more honourable, as well as easy, to dig by the hands of a valiant man.
Verse Judges 8:21. _THEN ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA SAID, RISE, THOU, AND FALL_ _UPON US_] It was disgraceful to fall by the hands of a _child_; and the death occasioned by the blows of such a person must be...
THE ORNAMENTS - See marg. and compare Isaiah 3:18. The custom of adorning the necks of their camels with gold chains and ornaments prevailed among the Arabs so late as the time of Mahomet....
CHAPTER 8 INTERNAL STRIFE, GIDEON'S FAILURE AND END _ 1. The strife (Judges 8:1)_ 2. The complete deliverance (Judges 8:10) 3. Gideon's failure and end (Judges 8:22) 4. Israel's failure after Gide...
THE PURSUIT ON THE EAST OF JORDAN. This section is not continuous with the preceding one. The men of Israel, who were gathered together after the battle (Judges 7:23), and the Ephraimites, who were so...
ORNAMENTS. crescent-shaped ornaments used still on necks of horses and camels....
The chiefs reply with undaunted spirit like true sons of the desert: _as the man is, so is his strength_, i.e. a man has a man's strength (Moore); but the word _so_is not expressed in the terse Hebrew...
_The pursuit on the east of Jordan_ This section is clearly not the continuation of the verses which immediately precede (see p. 68); if its antecedents are to be found in the foregoing narrative at...
_Gideon Captures and Slays Midian's Kings Judges 8:1-28_ And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?...
_THEN ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA SAID, RISE THOU, AND FALL UPON US: FOR AS THE MAN IS, SO IS HIS STRENGTH. AND GIDEON AROSE, AND SLEW ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA, AND TOOK AWAY THE ORNAMENTS THAT WERE ON THEIR CAMELS'...
HISTORY OF THE JUDGES (JUDGES 3:5 TO JUDGES 16:31) On this, the main section of the book, see Intro. § 2 and List of Oppressions and Judges. The larger part of the book is concerned with six of the Ju...
ORNAMENTS] RV 'crescents': cp. Judges 8:26. 22-35. Gideon's subsequent career and death....
LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 8 V1 The people in Ephraim’s *tribe asked Gideon, ‘Why have you done this to us? Why did you not call us when you went to fight the people from Midi...
RISE THOU, AND FALL UPON US. — They deprecated the pain and shame of falling by the irresolute hands of a boy. FOR AS THE MAN... HIS STRENGTH. — Deuteronomy 33:25. “As thy days, so shall thy strength...
וַ יֹּ֜אמֶר זֶ֣בַח וְ צַלְמֻנָּ֗ע ק֤וּם אַתָּ
"MIDIAN'S EVIL DAY" Judges 7:8 - Judges 8:1 THERE is now with Gideon a select band of three hundred, ready for a night attack on the Midianites. The leader has been guided to a singular and striking...
THE SNARE OF SUCCESS Judges 8:13 Clearly Gideon's family had passed through some terrible tragedy previous to this war of emancipation. He had not learned our Lord's teaching of forgiveness and acted...
Following the deliverance from the oppression of Midian, Gideon had to deal with internal troubles. The people of Ephraim objected that he had not called them to his help. The men of Succoth and Penue...
Gideon soothed the hurt feelings of Ephraim by telling them that, though they were called late to the battle, their grape gathering had been more fruitful than all the vintage of Abiezer. Gideon and h...
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for (l) as the man [is, so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that [were] on their...
Age. They beg that they may die in a more speedy and noble manner. Tacitus (Hist. iv.) observes, "it was reported that Civilis exposed some of the Roman captives to his little son, in order that he mi...
This event, in the death of those princes, forms a song of praise, and a subject of prayer, in the after ages of the church. See Psalms 83:11. But let the Reader remark, in their destruction, the sure...
The book of Joshua has shown the power of Jehovah in the conquests of His people, and this too distinguished from the measure of their practical taking possession of what was conquered. For as these a...
Nevertheless, they did not all unite with Gideon in pursuit of the Midianites. But, for the moment, Gideon despises the cowardice which disowns him through a remaining fear of the oppressor's power. O...
THEN ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA SAID, RISE THOU AND FALL UPON US,.... Since they must die, they chose rather to die by the hand of so great a man and valiant a commander as Gideon, which was more honourable t...
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man [is, so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that [were] on their came...
_Rise thou, and fall upon us_ They thought it better to die by the hand of Gideon, who was as eminent for his strength as his dignity, and would despatch them with more speed than a stripling could....
1 Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 4 Succoth and Penuel refuse to relieue Gideons army. 10 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. 13 Succoth and Penuel are destroyed. 17 Gideon reuengeth his brethrens dea...
THE END OF ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA...
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength; their execution was a task, not for a weak lad, but for a full-grown man. AND GIDEON AROSE AND SLEW ZEB...
GRIEVOUS WORDS AND A SOFT ANSWER (vv. 1-3) But the men of Ephraim were resentful that Gideon had called them so late rather than when he began his campaign against Midian (v.1). They did not stop to...
ORNAMENTS: Or, ornaments like the moon...
18-21 The kings of Midian must be reckoned with. As they confessed themselves guilty of murder, Gideon acted as the avenger of blood, being the next of kin to the persons slain. Little did they think...
Judges 8:21 Zebah H2078 Zalmunna H6759 said H559 (H8799) Rise H6965 (H8798) kill H6293 (H8798) man...
Judges 8:21 a ‘Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You rise and fall on us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” ' The two kings, no doubt tightly bound, made no plea for mercy. Now that they knew that...
Judges 8:21 The purport of these words is not obscure. The desert chieftains meant that, since they must die, they would rather fall by the hand of a strong man and a great commander such as Gideon, t...
Judges 6-8 In the first words of Gideon we find the key to his character. (1) He was a man who felt deeply the degradation of his people. He could not enjoy his own harvest while the Midianites were r...
CONTENTS: Jealousy of Ephriam. Events to the death of Gideon. Apostasy. CHARACTERS: God, Gideon, Zebah, Zalmunna, Abimelech, Jerubbaal, Jether. CONCLUSION: Many are led into false ways by one false...
Judges 8:16. _He taught the men of Succoth._ The LXX read, _he threshed_ them. This little city of forty or fifty families was blinded, in giving this answer to Gideon. Soldiers fighting for their cou...
_The children of a king._ THE ROYAL HOUSE OF JESUS There are family names that stand for wealth, or patriotism, or intelligence. The name of Washington means patriotism, although some of the blood of...
CHAPTER 8 _FINAL DEALING WITH THE ENEMY—GIDEON’S LAST DAYS. Judges 8:18_ CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 8:18. THEN SAID HE, etc.] This must have taken place when Gideon arrived at home; for it was after his...
EXPOSITION JUDGES 8:13 BEFORE THE SUN WAS UP. There is a wonderful diversity in the renderings of this verse. Some of the old versions and Jewish Rabbis interpret it _before sunset. _Many of the best...
Shall we turn in our Bibles to the book of Judges, chapter eight? The Ephraimites were troublemakers. And in chapter eight we find them giving Gideon a bad time. But we see with what splendid diplomac...
1 Samuel 31:3; 1 Samuel 31:5; Isaiah 3:18; Judges 9:54; Psalms 83:1;...
So is his strength — Thou excellest him, as in age and stature, so in strength; and it is more honourable to die by the hands of a valiant man....