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the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Contemporary English Version

Judges 8:16

Gideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gideon;   Government;   Israel;   Patriotism;   Retaliation;   Succoth;   Zalmunna;   Zebah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ishmaelites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Peniel or Penuel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Gilead;   Palestine;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Penuel;   Succoth;   Zalmunna;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Brier;   Hook;   Succoth;   Zebah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Judges, Book of;   Succoth;   Zalmunna;   Zebah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Judges (1);   Levi;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Ophrah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Briers;   Penuel ;   Succoth ;   Zalmunna ;   Zebah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Midian;   Succoth;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Punishments;   Ze'bah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Taught;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Brier;   Gideon;   Thorn;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Eden;   Elder in the Old Testament;   Succoth (1);   Thorns;   Zebah and Zalmunna;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cruelty;   Peniel;   Wilderness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he took the elders of the city, and he took some thorns and briers from the wilderness, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.
Hebrew Names Version
He took the Zakenim of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Sukkot.
King James Version
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Lexham English Bible
He took the elders of the city and the thorn bushes and briers of the wilderness, and he trampled the men of Succoth with them.
English Standard Version
And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson.
New Century Version
So Gideon took the elders of the city and punished them with thorns and briers from the desert.
New English Translation
He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then "threshed" the men of Succoth with them.
Amplified Bible
He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he punished the men of Succoth.
New American Standard Bible
Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes & breers, & did teare the men of Succoth with them.
Legacy Standard Bible
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of their own benefit.
Complete Jewish Bible
And he took the leaders of the city and desert thorns and thistles, and used them to teach the people of Sukkot a lesson!
Darby Translation
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Easy-to-Read Version
Gideon took the elders of the city of Succoth and beat them with thorns and briers from the desert.
George Lamsa Translation
And he dragged the elders of the city over the briers and thorns of the wilderness, and thus inflicted tortures on the men of Succoth.
Good News Translation
He then took thorns and briers from the desert and used them to punish the leaders of Sukkoth.
Literal Translation
And he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the briers, and taught the men of Succoth with them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he toke the Elders of the cite, and thornes out of the wildernes, and breres, and caused ye men of Sucoth to be torne therwith.
American Standard Version
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Bible in Basic English
Then he took the responsible men of the town and had them crushed on a bed of thorns and sharp stems.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he toke the elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernesse, and bryers, and dyd teare the men of Sucoth with them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
King James Version (1611)
And hee tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes, and briers, and with them hee taught the men of Succoth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took the elders of the city with the thorns of the wilderness and the Barkenim, and with them he tore the men of the city.
English Revised Version
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Berean Standard Bible
Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Gedeon took the eldere men of the citee, and thornes and breris of deseert, and he to-rente with tho, and al to-brak the men of Socoth; also he destriede the tour of Phanuel,
Young's Literal Translation
And he taketh the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teacheth by them the men of Succoth,
Update Bible Version
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he flailed the men of Succoth.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
World English Bible
He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
New King James Version
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
New Living Translation
Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness.
New Life Bible
Then he took the leaders of the city and with thorns and thistles from the desert, he punished the men of Succoth.
New Revised Standard
So he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them he trampled the people of Succoth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:
Douay-Rheims Bible
So he took the ancients of the city, and thorns and briers of the desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of Soccoth.
Revised Standard Version
And he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth.
THE MESSAGE
Then he took the seventy-seven leaders of Succoth and thrashed them with desert thorns and thistles. And he demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the city.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.

Contextual Overview

4 After Gideon and his three hundred troops had chased the Midianites as far as the Jordan River, they were exhausted. 5 The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, "Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings." 6 The town leaders of Succoth answered, "Why should we feed your army? We don't know if you really will defeat Zebah and Zalmunna." 7 "Just wait!" Gideon said. "After the Lord helps me defeat them, I'm coming back here. I'll make a whip out of thorns and rip the flesh from your bones." 8 After leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he had gotten at Succoth. 9 "I'll come back safe and sound," Gideon said, "but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!" 10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of fifteen thousand troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because one hundred twenty thousand of their warriors had been killed in the battle. 11 Gideon reached the enemy camp by going east along Nomad Road past Nobah and Jogbehah. He made a surprise attack, 12 and the enemy panicked. Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but Gideon chased and captured them. 13 After the battle, Gideon set out for home. As he was going through Heres Pass,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the elders: Judges 8:7, Proverbs 10:13, Proverbs 19:29, Ezra 2:6

thorns: Micah 7:4

taught: Heb. made to know, Instead of wyyoda, Houbigant, Lev. Clerc, and others read wyyadosh, "and he tore or threshed;" and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon threatened (Judges 8:7), but is supported by the LXX Vulgate, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew Text might easily have been corrupted simply by the change of ש, shin, into ע, ayin, letters very similar to each other.

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:17 - Succoth Exodus 3:20 - after that 1 Chronicles 20:3 - with saws

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.
Genesis 7:13
On that day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.
Genesis 8:16
"You, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law may now leave the boat.
Genesis 8:18
After Noah and his family had gone out of the boat,
Joshua 4:10
The army got ready for battle and crossed the Jordan. They marched quickly past the sacred chest and into the desert near Jericho. Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh led the way, as Moses had ordered. The priests stayed right where they were until the army had followed the orders that the Lord had given Moses and Joshua. Then the army watched as the priests carried the chest the rest of the way across.
Psalms 91:11
God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go.
Psalms 121:8
The Lord will protect you now and always wherever you go.
Zechariah 9:11
When I made a sacred agreement with you, my people, we sealed it with blood. Now some of you are captives in waterless pits, but I will come to your rescue

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took the elders of the city,.... All of them, especially those of them who had been most guilty, and had them to a proper place, where they might be made public examples of:

and thorns of the wilderness, and briers; which were near at hand, and soon cut up, for which he gave orders to proper persons:

and with them he taught the men of Succoth; either the inhabitants of the place, as distinct from the elders, whose punishment he taught them to be cautious not to follow such examples, or to behave ill to their superiors; or the princes and elders of the city are meant by the men of it, whom Gideon taught or chastised with thorns and briers; and so it is usual with us for a parent or master to say to his child or servant that has offended, I will "teach" you to do so or so, or to do otherwise, when he threatens to chastise: or "with them he made them to know" z; that is, their sin and the heinousness of it, by the punishment he inflicted on them. Abarbinel thinks the word "know" has the signification of mercy in it, as in Exodus 2:25 in that he did not punish in general the men of that city, only the elders of it. The Targum is,

"he broke upon them, or by them, the men of Succoth;''

so Jarchi and others; that is, he broke the briers and thorns upon them, scourging them with them; or rather broke and tore their flesh by them: whether they died or no is not certain.

z וידע "et cognoscere fecit", Montanus; so some in Vatablus; "notificavit", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He taught - Thought to be a false reading, for “he threshed,” as in Judges 8:7 margin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 8:16. He taught the men of Succoth. — Instead of וידע he taught, Houbigant reads וידש he tore; and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon had threatened, Judges 8:7, but is supported by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew text might have been easily corrupted in this place by the change of ש shin into ע ain, letters very similar to each other.


 
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