Judges 8:21 kjv
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' necks.
Judges 8:21 nkjv
So Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
Judges 8:21 niv
Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. 'As is the man, so is his strength.'?" So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels' necks.
Judges 8:21 esv
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Judges 8:21 nlt
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Be a man! Kill us yourself!" So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.
Judges 8 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 31:8 | They slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest... Balaam also... they slew with the sword. | Divine judgment on Midianite leadership. |
| Deut 19:11-13 | But if any man hate his neighbour... and strike him mortally... the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood... | Legal framework for the avenger of blood (Gideon acting on behalf of his brothers). |
| Josh 10:24-26 | And when they brought out those kings unto Joshua... Joshua said, 'Do not fear... For thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies... After this, Joshua struck them and put them to death.' | Execution of conquered kings by a victorious leader. |
| 1 Sam 15:33 | And Samuel said, 'As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women.' And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. | Prophet executing God's judgment on an enemy king. |
| 2 Sam 3:27 | When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside... to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the stomach so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. | Avenging a slain brother, similar to Gideon's motive (Judges 8:19). |
| 2 Sam 4:9-12 | David said... 'As the LORD liveth... I shall repay the blood of this man from your hand.' So David commanded his young men, and they executed them... | Punishment of those who presumptuously execute royalty, reinforcing that legitimate execution is by authority. |
| Ps 149:7-9 | To execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples... To bind their kings with chains... This honor have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. | The saints of God executing divine judgment on kings. |
| Gen 14:16 | And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot... and the women also, and the people. | Taking spoil after rescuing captives from kings, parallels Gideon's actions. |
| Deut 20:14 | But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself... | Laws concerning taking spoil in warfare. |
| 1 Sam 30:20 | And David took all the flocks and the herds... And they said, 'This is David's spoil.' | Victory followed by taking significant spoil. |
| Isa 61:6 | But ye shall be named the priests of the LORD: men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. | Spiritual concept of Israel inheriting the wealth/spoil of nations. |
| Jer 9:23 | Thus saith the LORD, 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might... but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me...' | Contrast of human-centered strength/glory ("as the man, so is his strength") with divine power and true glory. |
| Ps 33:16 | No king is saved by the multitude of an army: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. | Emphasizes God's ultimate role over human strength and military might. |
| Zech 4:6 | Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, 'This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.' | The principle that divine success comes from God's Spirit, not human strength. |
| 1 Cor 1:27-29 | But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world... and the weak things of the world... that no flesh should glory in his presence. | God using the "weak" to accomplish His will, further contrasts with reliance on human strength. |
| 2 Cor 12:9-10 | And He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' ...For when I am weak, then am I strong. | Divine strength perfected in human weakness, inverts "as the man, so is his strength." |
| Gen 35:4 | And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak... | Taking and discarding ornaments associated with foreign gods. |
| Exo 32:2-4 | And Aaron said unto them, 'Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.' ...he made it a molten calf. | Ornaments associated with idolatry (crescent ornaments in Jgs 8:21 likely linked to pagan worship). |
| Isa 3:18 | In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments... the crescents... | Mention of "crescents" (saharonim) as ornaments associated with societal pride, possibly idolatry. |
| Hos 2:13 | And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels... | Ornaments worn in connection with pagan worship. |
| Judges 8:27 | And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. | The direct consequence and problematic use of these very spoils by Gideon. |
| 1 Sam 31:4-5 | Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through... lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.' But his armourbearer would not... Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. | Preference for death by one's own hand or a respected hand, avoiding enemy humiliation. |
| 2 Sam 1:9-10 | He said to me, 'Stand upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me: because my life is yet whole in me.' So I stood upon him, and slew him... | An Amalekite's account of granting Saul a quick death in battle. |
Judges 8 verses
Judges 8 21 Meaning
Judges 8:21 records the execution of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna by Gideon himself. After his own son, Jether, hesitated, the kings challenged Gideon to perform the act, stating that a man's strength is proportionate to his stature or reputation, thereby demanding a dignified end by a true warrior. Gideon complied, striking them down and taking their crescent ornaments as spoils of war. This act concludes the judgment against Midianite leadership and avenges Gideon's murdered brothers.
Judges 8 21 Context
Judges chapter 8 details the culmination of Gideon's campaign against Midian. Following the rout of the Midianite army, Gideon pursues the two remaining kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. Despite his weary men, he captures the kings. When questioned about the men they killed at Tabor, Zebah and Zalmunna confirm they killed Gideon's brothers, implying they were men of kingly stature. This revelation solidifies Gideon's resolve for personal vengeance, transforming the general conflict into a just act of blood atonement. In the immediate preceding verse (Judges 8:20), Gideon bids his firstborn son, Jether, to kill the kings, but Jether hesitates, being young and afraid. Verse 21 then details the Midianite kings' response and Gideon's action, signaling the end of the Midianite threat and a personal settling of accounts. Historically, the Midianites were desert-dwelling people known for their camel trains and raids, often hostile to Israel. Their defeat here signifies a significant turning point in Israel's safety and dominance in the region during the period of the Judges.
Judges 8 21 Word analysis
- Zebah and Zalmunna: These are the two Midianite kings (שֶׁבַח / Zebah meaning "sacrifice," and צַלְמֻנָּע / Zalmunna meaning "shelter withheld" or "shadow withheld"). They represent the highest authority of the oppressive Midianite force. Their execution marks the definitive end of Midianite domination over Israel. Their very names, especially Zebah, could carry ironic weight, as they are now sacrificed.
- 'Rise yourself and kill us': A command and plea to Gideon. This request (קוּם אַתָּה הֲרָגֵנוּ / qum attah haragenu) highlights a specific cultural preference in ancient warfare. It's a call for an honorable and decisive end at the hands of a recognized warrior. They seek to avoid a drawn-out or humiliating death, particularly at the hands of Jether, whom they perceive as too young and lacking warrior status (as noted in Judges 8:20).
- 'for as the man, so is his strength': Hebrew: כְּאִישׁ גְּבוּרָתוֹ / k'ish g'vuratoh. This proverb speaks to the expected outcome or efficiency from an individual.
- כְּאִישׁ / k'ish: "as a man" or "like a strong man/champion." It implies a full-grown, capable warrior, signifying the quality and force of a true champion.
- גְּבוּרָתוֹ / g'vuratoh: "his strength," "his might," "his valor." This refers to both physical prowess and moral fortitude. The Midianite kings implicitly acknowledge Gideon's exceptional power and military success, desiring to die by such a hand, contrasting it with Jether's inexperience.
- So Gideon arose and killed: This direct action signifies the finality of Gideon's conquest and his fulfillment of the avenger's role. It confirms his authority and decisive nature as God's chosen leader for this task. He performs the act directly, asserting his warrior status.
- crescent ornaments: Hebrew: הַשַּׂהֲרֹנִים / hassaharonim. These were distinctively shaped ornaments, likely moon-shaped or lunate, often made of gold or silver.
- Cultural Significance: For the Midianites, a desert people, such ornaments were likely more than mere adornments. They were potent religious symbols associated with lunar deities (like the moon god, prominent in ancient Semitic polytheism). They could also indicate rank, wealth, or act as protective amulets.
- Theological Implication: Taking these particular ornaments, symbols of foreign religion, was a further demonstration of Israel's God triumphing over the deities of the Midianites, similar to Moses taking spoils from the Midianites in Numbers 31. This is a subtle but direct polemic against foreign idol worship.
- on their camels' necks: Camels were vital to the Midianite way of life and military prowess. Decorating their camels with these valuable and possibly sacred ornaments would underscore their kings' status and wealth. Capturing these along with the kings symbolized total subjugation and humiliation of the enemy.
- 'Rise yourself and kill us; for as the man, so is his strength': This group of words emphasizes a sense of honor and ancient military protocol. It underscores the Midianite kings' recognition of Gideon's power and skill, which ultimately came from the Lord. Their plea reveals an understanding of a hierarchy of prowess, where death at the hand of a lesser man was considered dishonorable.
- So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna: This phrase details the direct, immediate, and resolute action by Gideon. It signifies the complete vanquishing of the Midianite threat at its head, and the personal justice exacted by Gideon for his slain brothers. This act fulfilled both military judgment and familial retribution.
- and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks: This passage highlights the seizing of spoils. The particular type of ornaments (crescents) implies religious significance for the Midianites, possibly related to moon worship. Taking these objects was a significant act of desacralization and triumph over their deities and their power, not just a matter of wealth, but also a symbolic dismantling of their pagan religious and cultural identity. The future irony of these items becoming part of the problematic ephod (Judges 8:27) is set up here.
Judges 8 21 Bonus section
The request by Zebah and Zalmunna for Gideon to kill them, asserting "as the man, so is his strength," implicitly highlights Gideon's reputation built through divine empowerment. While they perceive his might as inherently his own, the reader understands it flows from God's hand, contrasting human boasting with true divine source of strength (cf. Zech 4:6, Jer 9:23-24). The taking of the hassaharonim (crescent ornaments) from the camels' necks, more than just precious spoils, serves as a poignant theological foreshadowing. These specific ornaments, symbols of Midianite astral worship, represent the pagan idolatry Israel constantly wrestled with. That Gideon later fashioned an ephod—an item for seeking divine guidance—from these spoils (and other gold) indicates how easily objects of triumph could be perverted into a stumbling block for God's people (Judges 8:27). This demonstrates a recurring theme in the Old Testament: the precarious line between legitimate spoils of war and instruments of spiritual deviation.
Judges 8 21 Commentary
Judges 8:21 brings to a close Gideon's primary campaign against Midian, focusing on the ultimate act of justice against their kings. The demand from Zebah and Zalmunna, "as the man, so is his strength," is an ancient plea for a dignified and swift execution by a formidable warrior. It is a grudging acknowledgment of Gideon's military prowess, ultimately a testament to God's empowering him. Gideon's action avenges his brothers and serves as a fulfillment of God's judgment upon Midianite oppression. The taking of the "crescent ornaments" (saharonim) signifies a complete triumph, stripping the enemy of their symbols of power and potentially their idolatrous practices (likely lunar worship). This final act by Gideon consolidates his victory and re-establishes order, yet it ironically prefaces his later failure when these very spoils become a snare for Israel (Judges 8:27), illustrating the human tendency to misuse even divinely-given victory for personal or religious error.