Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

Judges 8

1 Now a the men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?" And they reprimanded him sharply. 2 So he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the 1 gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than 2 the vintage of b Abiezer? 3 c "God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their d anger toward him subsided when he said that.

4 When Gideon came e to the Jordan, he and f the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. 5 Then he said to the men of g Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian." 6 And the leaders of Succoth said, h "Are 3 the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that i we should give bread to your army?" 7 So Gideon said, "For this cause, when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, j then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!" 8 Then he went up from there k to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I l come back in peace, m I will tear down this tower!"

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of n all the army of the people of the East; for o one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11 Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of p Nobah and Jogbehah; and he 4 attacked the army while the camp felt q secure. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he r took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you s ridiculed me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?' " 16 t And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he 5 taught the men of Succoth. 17 u Then he tore down the tower of v Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at w Tabor?" So they answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king." 19 Then he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them!" But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. 21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and x killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 12:1
    Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!
    2 Samuel 19:41
    Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, "Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David's men with him across the Jordan?
  2. Cross References
    Judges 6:11
    Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
  3. Cross References
    Judges 7:24
    Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan." Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.
    Judges 7:25
    And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
  4. Cross References
    Proverbs 15:1
    A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
  5. Cross References
    Judges 7:25
    And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
  6. Cross References
    Judges 7:6
    And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 33:17
    And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
    Psalms 60:6
    God has spoken in His holiness: "I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:11
    So the king of Israel answered and said, "Tell him, 'Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.'
    Judges 8:15
    Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, ' Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?'
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:11
    "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"
  10. Cross References
    Judges 8:16
    And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 32:30
    So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
    Genesis 32:31
    Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
    1 Kings 12:25
    Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:27
    "and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace." '"
  13. Cross References
    Judges 8:17
    Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 7:12
    Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
  15. Cross References
    Judges 6:5
    For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it.
  16. Cross References
    Numbers 32:35
    Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah.
    Numbers 32:42
    Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.
  17. Cross References
    Judges 18:27
    So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.
    1 Thessalonians 5:3
    For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 83:11
    Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.
  19. Cross References
    Judges 8:6
    And the leaders of Succoth said, " Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?
  20. Cross References
    Judges 8:7
    So Gideon said, "For this cause, when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!
  21. Cross References
    Judges 8:9
    So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!
  22. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:25
    Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.
  23. Cross References
    Judges 4:6
    Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun.
    Psalms 89:12
    The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
  24. Cross References
    Psalms 83:11
    Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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