Judges 8 22

Judges 8:22 kjv

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

Judges 8:22 nkjv

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."

Judges 8:22 niv

The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us?you, your son and your grandson?because you have saved us from the hand of Midian."

Judges 8:22 esv

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian."

Judges 8:22 nlt

Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian."

Judges 8 verses

Judges 8 22 Meaning

After Gideon's decisive victory over the Midianites, the grateful men of Israel approached him with a momentous offer: they requested that he, and then his descendants (son and grandson), rule over them permanently. This proposal signified their desire to establish a hereditary monarchy, motivated by his military success in saving them from oppression. It represented a longing for stable human leadership that departed from the theocratic ideal of God's direct rule through temporary judges.

Judges 8 22 Context

Judges 8:22 is set immediately after Gideon's extraordinary victory over the Midianite oppressors, a triumph achieved by divine power more than by human might. The preceding chapters (Judges 6-7) detail God's specific instructions to Gideon, reducing his army significantly to ensure that the deliverance would clearly be attributed to the LORD, not to human strength or numbers. This miraculous victory undoubtedly impressed the "men of Israel," who had suffered greatly under Midianite oppression for seven years.

The broader context is the turbulent Period of the Judges, a time when "there was no king in Israel" (Jdg 17:6, 21:25), and a cyclical pattern of sin, foreign oppression, the people's cry for help, God raising a judge to deliver them, and then a period of peace, before the cycle would repeat due to renewed idolatry. The proposal to Gideon marks a significant moment within this period. While previous judges had delivered Israel, this is the first explicit recorded offer to establish a hereditary monarchy, signifying a yearning among the people for a more permanent, visible form of government akin to the surrounding nations, as opposed to the loose tribal confederacy under YHWH's direct rule via temporary, divinely-appointed leaders. It highlights the tension between a theocracy and a human monarchy, which would fully materialize centuries later with Saul.

Judges 8 22 Word analysis

• Then (Hebrew: וַיֹּאמְרוּ, wa-yyo'mrû, literally "and they said," waw consecutive): Indicates a chronological sequence, a direct follow-up action. It highlights the immediate consequence of Gideon's deliverance.
• the men of Israel (Hebrew: אִישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל, 'îsh-Yisra'el): Refers to a significant number of the tribal leaders or representatives, and the collective populace. It denotes a widely held desire or consensus among the people. Not necessarily every single individual, but those speaking for the whole.
• said (Hebrew: אׅשׁ, 'iysh, same as above with the context meaning "each man/everyone" or representatives): This verb establishes their verbal initiation of the proposal. It's an active step on their part to establish new leadership.
• to Gideon (Hebrew: אֶל־גִּדְעוֹן, 'el-Gid'on): Directly addressing the victorious judge, highlighting him as the natural choice for such a pivotal role due to his proven leadership and success.
• "Rule over us" (Hebrew: מְשָׁל־בָּנוּ, māshal bānu): The verb māshal (root משׁל, m-sh-l) means "to rule," "to reign," "to have dominion," "to govern." While melech (מֶלֶךְ) is the common word for "king," mashal here indicates the desire for Gideon to exercise consistent, governing authority, which effectively functions as kingship in a practical sense, distinguishing it from the temporary, charismatic role of a judge. This signifies a move toward institutionalized power.
• "you and your son and your grandson" (Hebrew: אַתָּה גַּם־בִּנְךָ גַּם־בֶּן־בִּנְךָ, 'attah gam-bin'ka gam-ben-bin'ka): This is a crucial phrase. It explicitly expresses the desire for hereditary succession, a fundamental characteristic of monarchy and dynasties. This reveals their wish for enduring stability and continuity of leadership, moving beyond God's model of individual, divinely chosen judges and towards a more conventional political system patterned after the surrounding nations. It shows their trust shifting from God's ad hoc appointment to human lineage.
• "for" (Hebrew: כִּי, kî): A causal conjunction, introducing the reason or justification for their profound request.
• "you have saved us" (Hebrew: הוֹשַׁעְתָּנוּ, hosha'tanu, root ישע, y-sh-a meaning "to save," "to deliver"): Acknowledges Gideon's decisive role in their deliverance. While God was the ultimate deliverer, the people credit Gideon as the human agent through whom salvation came. This highlights their pragmatic focus on the immediate, tangible benefits of his leadership.
• "from the hand of Midian" (Hebrew: מִיַּד מִדְיָן, miyyad Midyan): "Hand" (yad) here is a common idiom representing power, control, or oppression. It explicitly states the immediate source of their suffering and the enemy from whom they sought (and found) liberation.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, 'Rule over us'": This opening reveals the people's collective and formal approach, signifying a popular desire for a shift in their political structure. They initiate this conversation, demonstrating their weariness with instability and a clear inclination towards a permanent human leader rather than a temporary deliverer.
• "'you and your son and your grandson'": This phrase is highly significant. It showcases a move towards a dynastic aspiration, mimicking the Gentile kingdoms that relied on bloodline for succession. It suggests a desire for predictable, continuous governance, implicitly trusting human heredity more than God's cyclical interventions or the irregular appointments of judges. It's a desire for earthly stability overriding divine unique leadership.
• "'for you have saved us from the hand of Midian'": This statement highlights the pragmatic and results-oriented nature of their proposal. Their motivation is primarily relief and gratitude for the military deliverance. It subtly shifts the focus from God, the ultimate Savior, to Gideon, the human instrument, thereby creating the human inclination towards reliance on earthly authority.

Judges 8 22 Bonus section

• A Precursor to Monarchy: This verse is a significant foreshadowing of Israel's future, indicating a growing sentiment for kingship long before the formal request to Samuel. It shows the nascent roots of the later unified kingdom under Saul and David.
• Shifting Focus: The people's statement highlights a subtle, yet crucial, shift in their spiritual focus. While Gideon was undoubtedly God's instrument, crediting him directly with "saving" them without acknowledging the ultimate divine source reveals a tendency to elevate human leadership over divine intervention. This underscores a persistent human temptation to rely on tangible human power and security rather than trusting fully in God's unseen, yet sovereign, hand.
• Irony of the Request: Coming so soon after God specifically diminished Gideon's army to ensure His own glory was unmistakable in the victory (Jdg 7:2-7), the people's immediate response is to elevate Gideon to a permanent, hereditary ruler, seemingly missing the theological point of the miraculous deliverance.
• Abimelech's Rebellion: This verse gains added layers of meaning when contrasted with the next chapter, where Gideon's own son, Abimelech, brutally tries to seize kingship, showing the dire consequences when human ambition deviates from God's intended order and Gideon's wisdom in declining.

Judges 8 22 Commentary

Judges 8:22 represents a pivotal moment in Israel's history, highlighting the tension between their theocratic calling and their growing desire for a human-centric monarchy. Having just been miraculously delivered from Midian by God's hand through Gideon, the people, perhaps weary of the recurring cycles of oppression and chaos characteristic of the Judges period, longed for lasting stability and predictability. Their proposal to Gideon to establish a hereditary dynasty ("you and your son and your grandson") signals a shift from a faith-based trust in God's occasional intervention through judges to a more conventional, worldly political structure seen in surrounding nations. This deep-seated desire for a visible, consistent leader, even at the cost of compromising their unique relationship with YHWH as their direct King, sets the stage for Israel's later persistent demand for a human king in 1 Samuel 8, which God eventually permits "in his anger." While attributing "salvation" to Gideon, it's crucial to remember that it was YHWH who orchestrated the deliverance, subtly reminding us of the danger of misplaced credit and misplaced trust. Gideon's response in the next verse, explicitly re-affirming God's sovereignty, stands as a strong counter-point to this popular aspiration.