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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Judges 8:9

"I'll come back safe and sound," Gideon said, "but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gideon;   Israel;   Patriotism;   Penuel;   Tower;   Zalmunna;   Zebah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Towers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Peniel or Penuel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Gilead;   Jabbok;   Penuel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Towers;   Zalmunna;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Succoth;   Zebah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Judges, Book of;   Penuel;   Zalmunna;   Zebah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gideon;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Ophrah;   Penuel;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Penuel ;   Succoth ;   Zalmunna ;   Zebah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Midian;   Succoth;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ze'bah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gideon;   War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gideon;   Palestine;   Peniel;   Zebah and Zalmunna;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gideon;   Peniel;   Tower;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He also told the men of Penuel, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower!”
Hebrew Names Version
He spoke also to the men of Penu'el, saying, When I come again in shalom, I will break down this tower.
King James Version
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Lexham English Bible
And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."
English Standard Version
And he said to the men of Penuel, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."
New Century Version
So Gideon said to the men of Peniel, "After I win the victory, I will return and pull down this tower."
New English Translation
He also threatened the men of Penuel, warning, "When I return victoriously, I will tear down this tower."
Amplified Bible
So Gideon said also to the men of Penuel, "When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower."
New American Standard Bible
So he said also to the men of Penuel, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.
Legacy Standard Bible
But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Complete Jewish Bible
So he answered the people of P'nu'el similarly, "When I return safe and sound, I will break down this tower!"
Darby Translation
And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Gideon said to the men of Penuel, "After I win the victory, I will come back here and pull this tower down."
George Lamsa Translation
And he said also to the men of Penuel, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Good News Translation
So he said to them, "I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear this tower down!"
Literal Translation
And he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde also vnto the men of Penuel: Yf I come peaceably agayne, I wil breake downe this tower.
American Standard Version
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Bible in Basic English
So he said to the men of Penuel, When I come back in peace, I will have this tower broken down.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayd also vnto the men of Phanuel: When I come agayne in peace, I will breake downe this towre.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying: 'When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.'
King James Version (1611)
And he spake also vnto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Gedeon said to the men of Phanuel, When I return in peace, I will break down this tower.
English Revised Version
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Berean Standard Bible
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so he seide to hem, Whanne Y schal turne ayen ouercomere in pees, Y schal distrie this tour.
Young's Literal Translation
And he speaketh also to the men of Penuel, saying, `In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.'
Update Bible Version
And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
World English Bible
He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
New King James Version
So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!"
New Living Translation
So he said to the people of Peniel, "After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower."
New Life Bible
So he said to the men of Penuel, "When I return safe, I will tear down this tower."
New Revised Standard
So he said to the people of Penuel, "When I come back victorious, I will break down this tower."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, - When I return with success, I will break down this tower.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He said, therefore, to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower.
Revised Standard Version
And he said to the men of Penu'el, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."

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

I come: 1 Kings 22:27, 1 Kings 22:28

I will break: Judges 8:17

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 28:65
You will be restless—always longing for home, but never able to return.
Psalms 116:7
and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore.
Isaiah 60:8
What is that sailing by like clouds or like doves flying home?
Ezekiel 7:16
Anyone who survives will escape into the hills, like doves who leave the valleys to find safety. All of you will moan because of your sins.
Matthew 11:28
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
John 16:33
I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 9 And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel,.... In a threatening way, as he had spoken to the men of Succoth: saying, when I come again in peace: having conquered all his enemies, and delivered Israel from their bondage, and restored peace and prosperity to them, of which he had no doubt:

I will break down this tower; pointing to it and which stood in their city, and in which they placed their confidence; and when he threatened them, boasted of it as their security.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 8:9. I will break down this tower. — Probably they had not only denied him, but insultingly pointed to a tower in which their chief defense lay; and intimated to him that he might do his worst, for they could amply defend themselves.


 
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