Judg 3:7-8:35 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Judg 3:7-11: 3:7-11 The account of Othniel is typical of the cycles in Judges. Evildoing led to apostasy, most frequently in the Baal and Asherah cults (see study notes on 2:11-13; 6:25-32). Apostasy provoked the Lord and resulted in foreign oppression. Then the cry of the people evoked divine compassion and the raising up of a rescuer-judge as the agent of God’s Spirit. The rescuer ended the oppression, and the land enjoyed a period of peace before the cycle started again. Othniel depicts an ideal judge.

Summary for Judg 3:7-11: 3:7-11 ^a The account of Othniel is typical of the cycles in Judges. Evildoing led to apostasy, most frequently in the Baal and Asherah cults (see study notes on 2:11-13; 6:25-32). Apostasy provoked the Lord and resulted in foreign oppression. Then the cry of the people evoked divine compassion and the raising up of a rescuer-judge as the agent of God’s Spirit. The rescuer ended the oppression, and the land enjoyed a period of peace before the cycle started again. Othniel depicts an ideal judge.
3:8 ^b Cushan-rishathaim means “Cushan of Double Wickedness.”

• Aram-naharaim means “Aram of the Two Rivers”; it is thought either to refer to the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in Mesopotamia or to be equivalent to Mesopotamia (a word that means “Midst of the Two Rivers,” the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates).
Summary for Judg 3:12-30: 3:12-30 ^c In this epic account of intrigue and cunning, Ehud manifested heroic qualities when a coalition of nations from east of the Jordan penetrated the hill country of Ephraim and Benjamin. The cycle follows formulaic language and highlights the repeated apostasy of the people once again.
Summary for Judg 3:12-13: 3:12-13 ^d The people of Moab and the Ammonites were descendants of Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters (Gen 19:30-38 ^e). Despite their kinship with Israel, both nations were Israel’s enemies.

• The Amalekites were nomads who had attacked Israel in the desert, and toward whom unbroken hostility had been commanded (Num 24:20 ^f; Deut 25:17-19 ^g). That the three nations joined in coalition probably reflected their growing fear of Israelite expansion.
3:15 ^h left-handed (literally restricted in the right hand): This characteristic enabled Ehud to hide his weapon on the right hip. The Greek Old Testament translates this phrase to mean “ambidextrous.” The term used here is associated with the tribe of Benjamin (“son of my right hand,” Gen 35:18 ⁱ; see Judg 20:16 ^j) and was connected with heroic military skills (cp. 1 Chr 12:1-2 ^k).

• The tribute money was either pieces of metal or, more likely, agricultural goods requiring a team of bearers (Judg 3:18 ^l).
3:16 ^m A knife for cutting would have a single blade. This doubled-edged dagger was fashioned to facilitate driving it into a victim.
Summary for Judg 3:19-21: 3:19-21 ⁿ The message had to be secret to ensure that Ehud would be left alone with the king; it had to be from God to guarantee that the ploy would be effective. Eglon probably stood up because he expected some kind of message from the Lord, which is precisely what he received. 3:19 ^o Gilgal became the Israelites’ initial base of operations after they crossed the Jordan and was the site of important events associated with the conquest (Josh 4–6 ^p). The stone idols may have been a pagan shrine created from the twelve stones that Joshua set up (Josh 4:20 ^q). Later, Gilgal was still an important center for the faithful (1 Sam 7:16 ^r) and for idolators (Hos 4:15 ^s; 9:15 ^t; 12:11 ^u; Amos 4:4 ^v; 5:5 ^w).
3:20 ^x The cool upstairs room was probably some kind of rooftop chamber, a common summer meeting place in hot countries.
3:23 ^y and escaped down the latrine: The latrine might have been similar to those in medieval Europe, where it was not uncommon for a latrine to extend out from the wall of a building, with an external chute not unlike today’s laundry or chimney ash chutes.
Summary for Judg 3:24-25: 3:24-25 ^z While the king’s servants, perhaps reacting to familiar odors, dithered over protocol for a king with bowel problems, Ehud made his escape.
3:26 ^aa Seirah is unknown, but it was accessible to the hill country, from which Ephraim and Benjamin could be rallied.
Summary for Judg 3:27-28: 3:27-28 ^ab sounded a call to arms (literally blew a trumpet): The trumpet blast and the call “Follow me” were accompanied by the assurance of divine victory through the God-appointed rescuer.
3:31 ^ac Shamgar is nowhere specifically identified as an Israelite or as a judge (see 5:6-7 ^ad).

• son of Anath: Anath was perhaps a Canaanite goddess or shrine (cp. 1:33 ^ae, “Beth-anath”); from similar references in ancient literature, some have seen him as part of a Canaanite warrior class.

‏ Judges 4

Summary for Judg 4:1-5:31: 4:1–5:31 ^af The account of Deborah and Barak, given in both prose (ch 4 ^ag) and poetry (ch 5 ^ah), is the only large-scale military operation recorded against a major Canaanite foe after the initial conquest. Another king named Jabin, who also ruled in the city of Hazor, was defeated in an earlier battle against Joshua along with a vast northern coalition, and Hazor was burned (see Josh 11:1-15 ^ai). Although Joshua 11 ^aj and Judges 4–5 ^ak have often been compared, there are too many differing details to consider them to be parallel records of the same battle. Instead, Jabin is probably a dynastic name; the name occurs in the Mari texts for an even earlier king of Hazor, around 1800 BC. 4:1 ^al The opening of ch 4 ^am provides chronological continuity with Ehud and reinforces the cyclical nature of Israel’s experience during this period.
4:2 ^an Hazor, located north of the Sea of Galilee, dominated the intersection of major trade routes running north–south and east–west. References to Hazor appear frequently in ancient Near Eastern documents, and the site has been extensively excavated. Its position as a one-time “capital of all [those] kingdoms” (Josh 11:10 ^ao) is confirmed by history and archaeology.

• Harosheth-haggoyim (“Forest/Farmland of the Nations”) was possibly a staging area for the battle; its location and history are debated.
4:3 ^ap Contemporary records confirm that armies like Sisera’s had large numbers of iron chariots. Such a force would have expected overwhelming victory over the lightly-armed Israelite infantry.
Summary for Judg 4:4-7: 4:4-7 ^aq Deborah was a prophet (Hebrew ’ishah nebi’ah, “a woman, a female prophet”) who was judging (shoptah, a feminine verb; see study note on 2:16-19). She is the protagonist of this story, though much of the action surrounds her surrogate, Barak. Unlike most of the characters in the book of Judges, Deborah fulfilled both the judicial and the military functions implied by the label “judge.” As a prophet, she foreshadowed Samuel’s later work (1 Sam 7:15-17 ^ar). Deborah called for a holy war in which the Lord would fight for his people (Judg 4:6-7 ^as; see study notes on Deut 1:30; 2 Chr 20:20-21).
4:6 ^at Though Barak appears in a list of Israelite heroes (Heb 11:32 ^au), Judges never gives him more than an equal place with Deborah.

• Mount Tabor was in the territory of Issachar, just north of the Jezreel Valley.
4:7 ^av The Kishon River, which runs northwest into the Mediterranean just north of Mount Carmel, formed the Jezreel Valley.
4:8 ^aw The theme of the reluctant rescuer surfaces again with Gideon (6:15 ^ax; cp. Exod 3:11 ^ay).
4:9 ^az Honor for the victory would go to a woman, which meant a loss of face for Barak.

• This Kedesh appears to have been near Mount Tabor (cp. 4:6 ^ba, 12 ^bb), a different location than the Kedesh in Naphtali (4:6 ^bc), which would have been too far north for the action described.
4:10 ^bd The warriors came from Barak’s tribe of Naphtali and its southern neighbor, Zebulun.
4:11 ^be Kenites related to Moses’ father-in-law had settled in Judah (1:16 ^bf), in the southern desert (Exod 2:16-22 ^bg) near the Amalekites in the mountainous country near Moab (Num 24:21-22 ^bh). Part of the tribe had apparently migrated north and settled near the Sea of Galilee.
Summary for Judg 4:12-13: 4:12-13 ^bi Upon hearing of Barak’s muster of troops, Sisera fell into the trap set by the Lord. He headed for the Jezreel Valley with his chariots, marching along the Kishon River where wheeled vehicles could operate freely.
Summary for Judg 4:14-16: 4:14-16 ^bj Mount Tabor, with its forest cover, was a strategic location, and the rush down the hill must have surprised the unsuspecting Canaanites. The battle was won, however, because it was the Lord’s war, not because of human strategy and tactics.

• Nothing is said here about why the chariots were so ineffective; this awaits the poetic version of the account (5:21 ^bk).
Summary for Judg 4:17-20: 4:17-20 ^bl Sisera felt that he was back in friendly circles (cp. 4:11 ^bm). A woman whose husband was absent would normally invite a man into her tent only for sex, but Sisera would have interpreted this invitation as an opportunity for safe haven. Jael did nothing to shake his confidence as she concealed and refreshed him.
4:19 ^bn The milk was probably the curds so favored by the Arabs (cp. “yogurt,” 5:25 ^bo); many believe that it is soporific.
Summary for Judg 4:21-22: 4:21-22 ^bp Jael completed what seems to have been her intention all along. There is a more graphic description of the event in 5:26-27 ^bq.
4:23 ^br God defeated Jabin by orchestrating people and events.
4:24 ^bs Sisera’s army was gone, but Jabin and his kingdom were subdued more gradually.

‏ Judges 5

Summary for Judg 5:1-31: 5:1-31 ^bt This song, a victory hymn usually credited to Deborah, presents a second, more poetic account of the entire battle with various details that supplement the prose account. It is one of the most ancient Hebrew poems. It blesses the Lord, those tribes who responded to the muster, and Jael. It curses those who remained at home, Sisera, and his mother’s entourage. It contrasts conditions before Barak’s victory, when the Lord’s curse was on the land, with the life of blessing in the wake of the warriors’ righteous acts. It ends with a prayer that the Lord’s enemies will perish like Sisera (5:31 ^bu).
5:3 ^bv The victory song is primarily a hymn to the Lord, the God of Israel. It is also a wisdom song that gives instruction to kings and rulers, as other wisdom psalms do (see thematic note for Wisdom Psalms at end of chapter).
Summary for Judg 5:4-5: 5:4-5 ^bw In the poem, the Lord is on the march from his home in the mountains of Edom (cp. Hab 3:3 ^bx), or Mount Sinai (one tradition places Sinai east of the Jordan Valley, in the region of Edom; cp. Gal 4:25 ^by). The fire and earthquake that had so terrified Israel at the giving of the law (Exod 19:18 ^bz) here symbolize God’s power and fury on the battlefield against his enemies.

• Torrential rain would have created a quagmire, making Sisera’s chariots a liability rather than an asset (Judg 4:15-16 ^ca).
5:6 ^cb During this period of chaos and uncertainty, there was little security for those living outside the main walled cities. Even Shamgar (see 3:31 ^cc) did little to alleviate the misery of the common people, who suffered under the hand of the Canaanites and their cruel commander, Sisera.
5:7 ^cd Deborah was God’s agent in bringing relief during this general social breakdown. Deborah did not muster or command the troops, but she was Israel’s spiritual and emotional pillar; she is described as a mother in Israel.
5:8 ^ce Israel was in social chaos and also lacked defensive weapons.

• Forty thousand warriors: The Hebrew word translated thousand could also be translated clans (see study note on Exod 12:37).
5:10 ^cf Both the rich (those who ride) and the poor (those who walk) were to listen and spread the song, which would have both a spiritual and a social impact as it was disseminated.
5:11 ^cg Listen to the village musicians: The picture is of divine exploits being recited where people gathered. Much Old Testament narrative and psalmody probably took shape in this way. “Remembering” in song and poetry is foundational to both Jewish and Christian worship.
5:13 ^ch The few were Barak’s army, marching down against the mighty warriors of Sisera’s army.
Summary for Judg 5:14-18: 5:14-18 ^ci These verses honor those who volunteered and shame those who did not.

• Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (represented by Makir) came from the south. Issachar, the territory where the battle actually took place, was joined by Zebulun and Naphtali, the two tribes closest to Barak’s home base.

• The tribes that were too irresolute and fainthearted to join the fight included Reuben, Gad (represented by Gilead), Dan, and Asher.
Summary for Judg 5:19-23: 5:19-23 ^cj The battle is described. The brave warriors who followed Deborah and Barak faded into the background as the Lord mustered the stars of heaven and the Kishon River to obliterate Sisera’s host. 5:19 ^ck Taanach was southeast of the great administrative center of Megiddo, so the battle took place in the lower part of the Jezreel Valley. The references to Taanach and Megiddo are probably poetic allusions to well-known places in the Jezreel Valley, rather than exact locations of any fighting, which appears to have taken place between Mount Tabor and the lowlands around the Kishon River.
5:23 ^cl The location of Meroz is unknown, but it should not be confused with Merom (Josh 11:5 ^cm), which was approximately twenty miles to the north in the hills of Galilee.
Summary for Judg 5:24-27: 5:24-27 ^cn Sisera’s end is described in a brief celebration of Jael.
5:28 ^co The natural confidence of Sisera’s mother was beginning to crumble.
Summary for Judg 5:29-30: 5:29-30 ^cp The wise women betrayed Sisera’s evil intentions as they tried to encourage his mother.

• The poet didn’t need to tell how the story concluded.
5:31 ^cq Sisera typifies the Lord’s enemies; Jael represents those who love the Lord.

• there was peace in the land: Rest followed the Lord’s rescue.

Thematic note: Wisdom Psalms
Some psalms are called wisdom psalms because they make a case for the primary importance of wisdom or instruct readers in dealing with questions, issues, and doubts that arise in life (see Pss 1 ^cr; 14 ^cs; 25 ^ct; 34 ^cu; 37 ^cv; 39 ^cw; 49 ^cx; 73 ^cy; 78 ^cz; 90 ^da; 91 ^db; 111 ^dc; 112 ^dd; 127 ^de; 128 ^df; 131 ^dg; 133 ^dh; 139 ^di). Many other psalms contain elements of wisdom teaching (see Pss 18 ^dj; 27 ^dk; 31 ^dl; 32 ^dm; 40 ^dn; 62 ^do; 92 ^dp; 94 ^dq; 107 ^dr; 144 ^ds; 146 ^dt).
In the other nations of the ancient Near East, wisdom had to do with maintaining order, pleasing the gods and other people, and carefully observing life, society, and nature. In Israel, wisdom shares these concerns but is distinct in the centrality it gives to fear of the Lord. God alone is the center and focus of life, and proper fear of him opens the path of wisdom (111:10 ^du). Fear of the Lord is a disposition of absolute submission to and trust in the Lord (115:11 ^dv; see also 40:3 ^dw; 112:7 ^dx), which leads to purity of life (19:9 ^dy). Psalm 34 ^dz connects the fear of the Lord with abundant life.
The way of wisdom is the way of godliness. Psalm 1 ^ea invites all readers of the psalms to delight in God, his revelation, and the lifestyle that results from his care for the wise. The lives of the godly demonstrate inner consistency, growth, and beauty as they increasingly reflect God’s righteousness and justice, love and fidelity, compassion and grace. They practice godliness from the inside out.
Wisdom enlarges a person’s perspective on life. A wise person desires to see life from God’s point of view. This search means living in submission and trust under the sovereign King who maintains the order and harmony of creation. Seeking God encourages an orderly and peaceful life and motivates obedience (19:7 ^eb; 25:12 ^ec; 51:6 ^ed; 112:1 ^ee; 119:98-100 ^ef). The wise imitate God, and their lives are full of joy even when they are suffering hardship. They praise the Lord amid all circumstances of life (see 22:23 ^eg, 25 ^eh), and they face life confidently because the Lord is with them (23:4 ^ei; 27:1 ^ej, 3 ^ek; 33:18 ^el; 91:1-16 ^em).
In contrast to the way of the wise is the way of the fool, or the wicked. Such people perceive themselves as powerful and continually boast of their accomplishments. They do not accept limitations. They brag, oppress, steal, and deprive others of their happiness. They have no fear of the Lord (36:1 ^en; 55:19 ^eo). The poets of Israel repeatedly warned the people to be wary of the path of folly, lest God’s judgment overtake them (2:10-11 ^ep; 94:8-10 ^eq).
Jesus Christ came into the world as God in the flesh, and he embodies all the qualities of wisdom. Through him, we can walk in the way of wisdom (Col 2:2-3 ^er).

Passages for Further Study
Pss 1 ^es; 14 ^et; 25 ^eu; 34 ^ev; 37 ^ew; 39 ^ex; 49 ^ey; 73 ^ez; 78 ^fa; 90 ^fb; 91 ^fc; 111 ^fd; 112 ^fe; 127 ^ff; 128 ^fg; 131 ^fh; 133 ^fi; 139 ^fj

‏ Judges 6

Summary for Judg 7:1-8:32: 6:1–8:35 ^fk Gideon’s judgeship brings to a close the first period of judges.
Summary for Judg 6:1-6: 6:1-6 ^fl After forty years of peace, religious syncretism had brought about political instability, and marauding nomads had reduced the Israelites to living as fugitives.

• The Midianites were once thought to be a purely nomadic tribe centered in northwest Arabia, but they are now understood to have built cities and for a time to have dominated much of the Arabian Peninsula and southern Transjordan (the area east of the Jordan). They are joined here by Amalekites (who earlier were part of a Moabite coalition; see study note on 3:12-13) and the mysterious people of the east (cp. 1 Kgs 4:30 ^fm; Ezek 25:4 ^fn, 10 ^fo). The pattern of attack was seasonal but devastating.
6:5 ^fp Camels, known in some contexts from as early as 3000 BC, are frequently associated with eastern nomads and their raids. This may be one of the first recorded instances of camels being used in a large military force.
Summary for Judg 6:8-10: 6:8-10 ^fq This unnamed prophet and Deborah are the only prophets to appear in Judges. This prophet rebuked Israel’s apostasy in language familiar from Deuteronomy onward.
Summary for Judg 6:11-32: 6:11-32 ^fr Gideon encountered the angel of the Lord and emerged as a hero. He overthrew the syncretistic Baal cult of his family and town and called his people to fight in the Lord’s name.
6:12 ^fs Mighty hero translates a Hebrew term that is elsewhere translated as “strong warriors” (Josh 6:2 ^ft), pointing to Gideon’s potential military heroism, and as “the rich” (2 Kgs 15:20 ^fu), pointing to his social standing as a member of a leading family.

• the Lord is with you: A commission to fight God’s war is usually accompanied by assurance of his presence (see Deut 1:30 ^fv; Josh 1:1-9 ^fw).
Summary for Judg 6:13-15: 6:13-15 ^fx Like others called to be prophets or judges, Gideon was reluctant to obey. He questioned God’s presence and his own adequacy (see study note on 4:8; Exod 3:1–4:17 ^fy; Jer 1:4-19 ^fz).
6:15 ^ga Gideon’s personal and clan status was itself insufficient to muster troops.
6:22 ^gb Encounters with divine holiness are inherently dangerous (cp. Gen 32:30 ^gc; Deut 5:4-5 ^gd).
6:24 ^ge The symbolically named altar commemorates the divine presence and favor. By the time the account was written down (to this day), the altar had probably become a pilgrimage site.
Summary for Judg 6:25-32: 6:25-32 ^gf In a provocative act that was commanded by God, Gideon destroyed and desecrated a community altar to Baal and its Asherah pole. 6:25 ^gg In Canaanite worship, Baal was a storm and fertility god, while Asherah was often represented as a sacred tree.
6:31 ^gh The first person to follow Gideon’s inspired act of leadership and abandon Baal for the Lord was Gideon’s father Joash, who was, ironically, the keeper of the Baal shrine.
6:33 ^gi The nomadic coalition (6:1-6 ^gj) set up camp at the eastern end of the valley of Jezreel, which divided Israel’s central tribes from the Galilean hills.
6:34 ^gk As is typical of the inspired leaders in Judges, the Spirit clothed Gideon with power. A similar metaphor is frequent in Paul’s letters (e.g., Rom 13:12 ^gl; Gal 3:27 ^gm; Eph 4:24 ^gn; 6:11 ^go; Col 3:10 ^gp, 12 ^gq, 14 ^gr).
Summary for Judg 6:36-40: 6:36-40 ^gs The fleece incident was not a confirmation of God’s intention to use Gideon (which had already been established, 6:17-24 ^gt), but God’s indulgence in responding to the reluctant hero’s uncertainty.

‏ Judges 7

7:1 ^gu The spring of Harod and the hill of Moreh were just east of the town of Jezreel; they guarded the pass that connects the valley of Jezreel to the fords of the Jordan near Beth-shan. Gideon’s army was located on the north slope of Mount Gilboa. The Midianite hosts were in the valley below, with the hill behind them.
7:2 ^gv The Lord does not require a large force to save his people (cp. 1 Sam 14:6 ^gw). A large number might even have hindered success because the element of surprise was crucial to the Lord’s battle plan. Gideon was to pare down the army to maintain godly humility, not for reasons of military strategy.
7:3 ^gx The first reduction sorted out those who initially responded with enthusiasm but then had second thoughts.
Summary for Judg 7:4-8: 7:4-8 ^gy The choice of those who lapped from their hands over those who knelt was apparently arbitrary, but it enabled the Lord to reduce the size of the army.
7:8 ^gz The jars (in which the men carried provisions) and trumpets borrowed from the warriors who were sent home would be used in the coming battle.
Summary for Judg 7:10-15: 7:10-15 ^ha The Lord encouraged Gideon with a third sign (6:17-21 ^hb, 36-40 ^hc).
7:11 ^hd With the enemy camp spread out across the valley (7:1 ^he, 12 ^hf), it was easy for Gideon and his servant to sneak undetected into the camp.
Summary for Judg 7:13-14: 7:13-14 ^hg Dreams and their interpretations were often discussed in Egypt and Babylonia. The Old Testament teaches that dreams are inspired by God and are best interpreted by his revelation (see Gen 41:15-16 ^hh, 25 ^hi; Dan 2:28 ^hj). The point of this dream is clear: Gideon’s band, represented as a rounded loaf of barley bread, would come tumbling down and overturn the Midianite camp.
7:16 ^hk Dividing the small band into three groups created the impression of a much larger force.
Summary for Judg 7:17-20: 7:17-20 ^hl Surprise and deception took the place of a massive army. The war cry, the sudden blast of 300 trumpets, and the torches bursting into light created the impression of a large force.
7:21 ^hm The warriors stood in place while God fought the battle (cp. Exod 14:13 ^hn; 1 Sam 12:16 ^ho; Rev 19:11-16 ^hp).

• The Midianites’ camels (Judg 6:5 ^hq) might have contributed to the panic. Camels usually provided a military advantage, but in this situation they would have been a liability. They had probably been hobbled for the night, and camels themselves are subject to panic.
7:22 ^hr The fugitives fled in a southeasterly direction, past Beth-shan and toward the fords of the Jordan, trying to reach more friendly and favorable surroundings.
7:24 ^hs The shallow crossings of the Jordan were key to cutting off the escape of an army (cp. 3:28 ^ht; 12:4-6 ^hu).
7:25 ^hv Oreb (“raven”) and Zeeb (“wolf”) were military leaders, in contrast to Zebah and Zalmunna, who were kings (8:5 ^hw). This capture was commemorated in the subsequent names of the rock and winepress where they were captured.

‏ Judges 8

Summary for Judg 8:1-3: 8:1-3 ^hx Ephraim, the dominant tribe of the north-central hill country, produced only a minor judge, Tola (10:1 ^hy). The Ephraimites resented their omission from the battle, if only because they hoped for a share of the spoils. When summoned, they did the job at hand. Gideon gave a gracious and humble answer, which turned away Ephraim’s anger (see Prov 15:1 ^hz; contrast Jephthah, Judg 12:1-4 ^ia). Gideon’s and Ephraim’s victories over Oreb and Zeeb and their armies became the stuff of legend (cp. Ps 83:11-12 ^ib; Isa 10:26 ^ic).
Summary for Judg 8:4-12: 8:4-12 ^id At this point, Gideon seemed as bent on revenge as on victory, and there is an abrupt cessation of his earlier dialogue with the Lord. The core of 300 men made this final run against the Midianites.

• Gideon pursued the fleeing kings of Midian through the Jabbok gorge, then southward toward Rabbah, following the caravan route onto the Transjordan plateau.

• Succoth and Peniel were Israelite cities, but their loyalty to Gideon, an upstart general, was thin. The tribes east of the Jordan were continually exposed to the Midianites’ pressure and apparently feared the Midianites.
8:7 ^ie It was a common practice in the ancient Near East to tear the flesh of a defeated foe (cp. Amos 1:3 ^if; Mic 4:13 ^ig).
Summary for Judg 8:8-9: 8:8-9 ^ih this tower: Towers were common in the period and have been excavated at both Succoth and Shechem (see 9:46-49 ⁱⁱ).
Summary for Judg 8:10-12: 8:10-12 ^ij Apparently the Midianite remnant with its two kings felt reasonably secure, having reached the Transjordan plateau en route to their traditional desert haunts. This put them well beyond typically Israelite territory. As he had done before (7:19-22 ^ik), Gideon took the Midianite army by surprise. He captured the two kings and routed the army, thus eliminating the threat of Midianite retribution feared by the leaders of Succoth and Peniel.
Summary for Judg 8:13-17: 8:13-17 ^il The return journey was probably a straight course (through the unknown Heres Pass) rather than the circular approach needed for the ambush.

• That a typical young man from Succoth could write down the names is evidence that the newly developed alphabetic writing system had taken root in Israel.

• Gideon’s practice of retribution and execution was the norm in his time, though Gideon’s reputation as the Lord’s servant was better served by his skillful diplomacy (8:1-3 ^im) than by vindictive punishment.
Summary for Judg 8:18-21: 8:18-21 ⁱⁿ It is not clear just when the slaughter at Tabor took place; it may have occurred during the earlier battle.
Summary for Judg 8:20-21: 8:20-21 ^io Matters of honor dominated this interaction. Death at the hand of a woman or a child was considered dishonorable (5:24-27 ^ip; 9:54 ^iq).
8:21 ^ir royal ornaments (or “crescent necklaces,” Isa 3:18 ^is): Desert nomads tended to carry their wealth with them; jewelry maximized value for weight.
8:24 ^it Ishmaelites and Midianites were both descendants of Abraham (Gen 16:15 ^iu; 25:2 ^iv).
8:27 ^iw An ephod was normally considered part of the priestly garments (Exod 28:6-30 ^ix); one was also worn by Samuel and David (1 Sam 2:18 ^iy; 2 Sam 6:14 ^iz; 1 Chr 15:27 ^ja). But here, as in Judg 17:5 ^jb and 18:14-18 ^jc, the ephod appears to have been some kind of gold image, which in turn became an object of idolatrous worship.
8:28 ^jd When there was peace in the land (see study note on 3:7-11) before Abimelech, it was for multiples of twenty years (3:11 ^je, 30 ^jf; 5:31 ^jg). After Gideon, the lengths were shorter. Israel’s ongoing apostasy led to increased social instability (cp. chs 17–21 ^jh).
Summary for Judg 8:29-32: 8:29-32 ^ji Advanced age is generally a sign of divine blessing, but Gideon was tarnished by a decline of spiritual blessing and leadership.
8:31 ^jj concubine: See study note on 19:1.
Summary for Judg 8:33-35: 8:33-35 ^jk Gideon’s ephod (8:27 ^jl) quickly became part of a pagan shrine honoring images of the ever-present Canaanite deity Baal, here called Baal-berith (“Baal of the covenant”). Fundamental to this apostasy were the twin themes of forgetting the Lord and his works and disloyalty to godly leadership. Remembering is basic to biblical, covenantal worship, from the time of the Exodus (Exod 12:14 ^jm, 24 ^jn) to the ongoing Christian celebration of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:25 ^jo).

• loyalty: See study note on Judg 1:24.