Study Desk

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

But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; ^(m)the Lord shall rule over you."

Yet Gideon said to them, "I would ^[s]request of you, that each of you give me ^[t]an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were ⁽ⁿ⁾Ishmaelites.)

They said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.

The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks.

Gideon made it into ^(o)an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.