Judges 8:23 kjv
And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
Judges 8:23 nkjv
But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you."
Judges 8:23 niv
But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."
Judges 8:23 esv
Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."
Judges 8:23 nlt
But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!
Judges 8 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 15:18 | The Lord shall reign forever and ever. | God's eternal reign. |
| Deut 17:14-15 | When you come to the land...and say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me’...you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses. | Prophecy of future kingship; God's selection. |
| 1 Sam 8:5 | Give us a king to govern us like all the nations. | Israel’s later desire for a human king. |
| 1 Sam 8:7 | They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. | God views desire for human king as rejection of Him. |
| 1 Sam 12:12 | When you saw that Nahash...was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us’—when the Lord your God was your king. | Rejection of God’s rule despite His presence. |
| Ps 24:7-10 | Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in...the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory! | Proclaiming Yahweh as the King of Glory. |
| Ps 93:1 | The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His clothing... | God's powerful and majestic reign. |
| Ps 99:1 | The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; let the earth quake! | God’s awe-inspiring and sovereign rule. |
| Isa 33:22 | For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us. | God as multifaceted sovereign authority. |
| Zech 14:9 | And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and His name one. | God's universal and future reign. |
| Matt 6:10 | Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. | Prayer for God's reign to be realized. |
| John 18:36 | My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would have been fighting... | Christ’s spiritual kingdom contrasted with earthly. |
| Col 1:13 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. | Believers transferred to Christ's spiritual reign. |
| Rev 11:15 | The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. | Ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s reign. |
| Deut 33:5 | Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. | God’s kingship established from early Israel. |
| Judg 10:11-14 | Then the Lord said to the people of Israel...“Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” | God rebuking Israel for abandoning His rule for idols. |
| Prov 29:2 | When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. | Human leadership's impact, underscoring need for righteous, i.e., God-directed, rule. |
| Hos 13:10 | Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? Or your rulers, that they may govern you—of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”? | God's rhetorical question regarding Israel’s reliance on human kings. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | Christian identity as under divine sovereignty, a priestly nation. |
| Rev 19:16 | On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. | Christ's ultimate supreme universal kingship. |
| Jer 10:10 | But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. | God as the true and eternal King. |
| Isa 43:15 | I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. | God as the Creator and King of Israel. |
Judges 8 verses
Judges 8 23 Meaning
Judges 8:23 proclaims Gideon’s refusal to accept an offer of hereditary kingship over Israel, asserting that only the Lord is Israel’s rightful ruler. It is a profound declaration of divine sovereignty, recognizing that ultimate authority belongs to Yahweh, not to any human leader or dynasty. Gideon understood that for Israel, God Himself was to be their King, governing them through His law and Spirit.
Judges 8 23 Context
Judges 8:23 takes place after Gideon's decisive victory over the Midianites and their kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, completing his mission to deliver Israel. Following this triumph, the men of Israel, impressed by his leadership and perhaps longing for stability in the tumultuous period of the Judges, offer Gideon a kingship. This offer is not merely personal but includes a hereditary succession for his son, aiming to establish a dynasty. The broader context of the book of Judges reveals a cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance, where Israel constantly struggles with faithfulness to God. Their desire for a king reflects a yearning for order and an emulation of surrounding nations, rather than trust in God's unique direct rule over them, which He established as their original covenantal King. Gideon's response here is a beacon of theological insight amidst this spiritual decline.
Judges 8 23 Word analysis
- "But Gideon said" (וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם גִּדְעוֹן - vayyomer lahem Gid'on): The conjunction "but" indicates a contrast. The people made an offer, and Gideon's response is presented as contrary to their expectation or desire. His statement is a decisive break from the norm of seeking human authority.
- "I will not rule" (לֹא־אֶמְשֹׁל - lo'-'emshol): Lo is the strong Hebrew negative "not." 'Emshol comes from the root מָשַׁל (mashal), meaning "to rule, reign, have dominion, govern." Gideon's direct refusal emphasizes personal rejection of the power and office. He denies the very function offered to him.
- "over you" (בָּכֶם - bakhem): Refers directly to the Israelites, the collective body that sought to impose human monarchy.
- "nor shall my son rule" (וְלֹא־יִמְשֹׁל בְּנִי - vəlo'-yimshol bni): The phrase reiterates the negative "nor" (וְלֹא - velo), specifically rejecting the establishment of a dynastic succession. This highlights the awareness of the full implication of their offer – to create a lineage of rulers. It demonstrates a foresight and commitment to prevent Israel from becoming like other nations with hereditary monarchies.
- "over you" (בָּכֶם - bakhem): Again, the clear focus on the people of Israel as the entity to be ruled.
- "the Lord" (יְהוָה - YHWH): This is the most crucial part of the statement, invoking God’s covenant name (the Tetragrammaton). It denotes the personal, redemptive God of Israel, highlighting His unique relationship and authority over His people. It directly contrasts with any human entity (Gideon or his son).
- "will rule" (הוּא יִמְשֹׁל - hu yimshol): The emphatic personal pronoun "He" (hu) strongly distinguishes God as the sole Ruler. The verb yimshol (from mashal) is in the imperfect tense, denoting a continuous or future action – God will (continue to) rule. This affirms an ongoing divine reign rather than a one-time act.
- "over you" (בָּכֶם - bakhem): The constant reiteration of "over you" ties God’s sovereignty directly to Israel’s corporate life, emphasizing that His reign is their rightful form of governance.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you": This phrase functions as a comprehensive rejection of human monarchy. Gideon denies both personal reign and the establishment of a dynastic legacy, indicating an understanding of the depth of the people's proposal. It signifies humility and self-denial, placing divine prerogative above personal ambition.
- "the Lord will rule over you": This is the theological core of the verse, a foundational statement about theocratic governance. It is a powerful affirmation of Yahweh's unique role as Israel's King. In declaring this, Gideon reinforces the covenant relationship where God alone held supreme authority, laws, and judicial power over His chosen people. It served as a profound reminder that Israel's distinctiveness among nations lay in her being directly ruled by God, not by human kings, and it stood as a polemic against the ancient Near Eastern conception of human kings as divine or semi-divine figures, reminding Israel that their King was Yahweh, truly God.
Judges 8 23 Bonus section
This verse offers a glimpse into a purer theological understanding of theocracy during the chaotic period of the Judges, before the eventual establishment of a monarchy under Saul. It implicitly warns against the dangers of idolatry (both literal idols and the idolatry of human power) by clearly stating God as the rightful authority. This declaration by Gideon highlights the constant tension in Israelite history: the people's desire to be "like all the nations" with a human king (1 Sam 8:5) versus God's intention for them to be a peculiar treasure under His direct rule. While human kingship was eventually permitted by God (Deut 17:14-15), it came with specific instructions and often served as a test of Israel's faithfulness, reinforcing that even human kings were meant to rule under God, not in His place.
Judges 8 23 Commentary
Gideon’s declaration in Judges 8:23 is a pivotal moment, affirming a fundamental truth about Israel’s unique national identity as a theocracy. In rejecting the crown for himself and his lineage, Gideon points to Yahweh as the legitimate and sole ruler of Israel, upholding the original divine design. This was a profound act of spiritual discernment, distinguishing Israel from pagan nations that relied on earthly kings for leadership and identity. It emphasized that true deliverance and security come from God's rule, not human power. While Gideon’s later actions concerning the ephod in verse 27 show human fallibility and an eventual spiritual misstep, his pronouncement here stands as a righteous testament to God's singular sovereignty, anticipating later prophetic warnings against the dangers of human kingship and the recurring theme of God's supreme authority throughout Scripture. This verse exemplifies genuine leadership as a channel for divine rule, not an assertion of personal dominion.