Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Judges 8:16

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 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.
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.
Contemporary English Version
Gideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials.
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 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. 13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

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
And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 7:7
And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
Genesis 7:13
In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
Genesis 8:16
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 8:18
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
Joshua 3:17
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Joshua 4:10
For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
Psalms 91:11
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psalms 121:8
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Zechariah 9:11
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

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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