Judges 8:16

Judges 8:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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 International Version (NIV)He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 King James Version (NKJV)And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

Context of Judges 8:16

14He captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And the youth wrote down for him [the names of] the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look here, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’ ” He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he punished the men of Succoth. 17He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they replied, “They were like you, each one of them resembled the son of a king.”

Judges 8:16 word by word

וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י הָעִ֔יר וְאֶת־קוֹצֵ֥י הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְאֶת־הַֽבַּרְקֳנִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣דַע בָּהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אַנְשֵׁ֥י סֻכּֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• and thornsקוֹץqôts qôts · thornH6975
• of the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• and briersבַּרְקָנִיםbarqân · briarH1303
• and with them he taughtיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of Succothסֻכּוֹתsûkkôth sûkkôth · SuccothH5523

Cross-references for Judges 8:16

• Judges 8:7Gideon said, “For that [response], when the Lord has handed over Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will thrash your bodies with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.”
• Proverbs 10:13On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found, But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.
• Proverbs 19:29Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools.
• Ezra 2:6the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812;
• Micah 7:4The best of them is [injurious] like a briar; The most upright is [prickly] like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen [that is, the time predicted by the prophets] And your punishment comes; Now shall be their confusion.

Commentaries on Judges 8:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16He 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16He taught - Thought to be a false reading, for “he threshed,” as in Judges 8:7 margin.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 The active servants of the Lord meet with more dangerous opposition from false professors than from open enemies; but they must not care for the behaviour of those who are Israelites in name, but Midianites in heart. They must pursue the enemies of their souls, and of the cause of God, though they are ready to faint through inward conflicts and outward hardships. And they shall be enabled to persevere. The less men help, and the more they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-17The return journey likely followed a straight path through the unknown Ascent of Heres, unlike the circular route needed for the ambush. The fact that a typical young man from Succoth could write down the names shows that the new alphabetic writing system had become established in Israel. Gideon's practice of retribution and execution was common in his time. However, his reputation as the Lord's servant was better supported by his skillful diplomacy…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. he took ... the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth--By refusing his soldiers refreshment, they had committed a public crime, as well as an act of inhumanity, and were subjected to a horrible punishment, which the great abundance and remarkable size of the thorn bushes, together with the thinness of clothing in the East, has probably suggested.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 8:16

• Gideon
• Government
• Israel
• Patriotism
• Retaliation
• Succoth
• Zalmunna
• Zebah

In the dictionaries

• Succoth
• Gideon
• Penuel
• Request
• Resemble
• Zalmunna
• Zebah
• Abdon (1)
• Eden
• Elder in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Judges 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings