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Judges 8:7

in Judges 8

“Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

KJV

And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

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This verse in Judges 8

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

I will tear your flesh - What this punishment consisted in I cannot say; it must mean a severe punishment: as if he had said, I will thresh your flesh with briers and thorns, as corn is threshed out with threshing instruments; or, Ye shall be trodden down under the feet of my victorious army, as the corn is trodden out with the feet of the ox. Succoth was beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad. Penuel was also in the same tribe, and not far distant from Succoth.

This site's exposition

I will tear your flesh with the thorns

on Judges 8:7-9

Both threats are carried out later in the same chapter, the thorns and briers at verse 16 and the tower at verse 17, so the text plants them to be collected. Penuel is where Jacob wrestled and was renamed Israel at Genesis 32:30, which makes the two towns that refuse Gideon the two places east of Jordan carrying Jacob's own names. No word from God is recorded over either threat, and the narrative reports the swearing and the doing without approval or blame.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

And Gideon said,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Those shall have judgment without mercy that have shown no mercy. Perhaps he observed them to be soft and delicate men, who despised him and his company for their roughness and hardiness, and therefore Gideon thus mortified them for their effeminacy. [2.] He instructed their minds: With these he taught the men of Succoth,

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

God gives notice of danger, and space to repent, that sinners may flee from the wrath to come. The warning being slighted, the punishment, though very severe, was really very just.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • גִּדְע֔וֹןGideon

    gidonH1439 →39 times

  • לָכֵ֗ן<to> therefore

    lakhenH3651 →771 times

  • בְּתֵ֧תwhen gives

    betetH5414 →2011 times

  • יְהוָ֛הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • זֶ֥בַחZebah

    zevachH2078 →12 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • צַלְמֻנָּ֖עZalmunna

    tzalmuna'H6759 →12 times

  • בְּיָדִ֑יin hand my

    beyadiH3027 →1618 times

  • וְדַשְׁתִּי֙and I will thresh

    vedashtiH1758 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • בְּשַׂרְכֶ֔םflesh your

    besarkhemH1320 →270 times

  • אֶת־with

    ʾet-H854 →929 times

  • קוֹצֵ֥י<the> thorns of

    kotzeiH6975 →

  • הַמִּדְבָּ֖רthe wilderness

    hamidbarH4057 →270 times

  • וְאֶת־and with

    veetH854 →929 times

  • הַֽבַּרְקֳנִֽים׃<the> briers

    habarkonimH1303 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Judges 7:15

    When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 10:4–6

      The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

    • Genesis 24:48

      Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother…

    • Genesis 40:8

      “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

    • Genesis 41:11

      One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.

    • Judges 4:14

      Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor…

About Judges

The Death of Samson, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Death of Samson, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 8 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 8 →