God’s Word Translation
Judges 8:21
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and do it yourself! It’s a man’s job!” So Gideon got up and killed them. Then he took the half-moon ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Judges 8:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
- New International Version (NIV)Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’ ” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Context of Judges 8:21
19Gideon replied, “They were my brothers, my mother’s sons. I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not have to kill you now.” 20Then he told Jether, his firstborn son, “Get up and kill them!” But Jether didn’t draw his sword. He was afraid because he was only a young man. Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and do it yourself! It’s a man’s job!” So Gideon got up and killed them. Then he took the half-moon ornaments that were on their camels’ necks. 22The men of Israel said to Gideon, “You, then your son, and then your grandson, must rule us. You rescued us from Midian.” 23Gideon replied, “I will not rule you nor will my son. The Lord will rule you.”
Read all of Judges 8Judges 8:21 word by word
וַיֹּ֜אמֶר זֶ֣בַח וְצַלְמֻנָּ֗ע ק֤וּם אַתָּה֙ וּפְגַע־בָּ֔נוּ כִּ֥י כָאִ֖ישׁ גְּבוּרָת֑וֹ וַיָּ֣קָם גִּדְע֗וֹן וַֽיַּהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־זֶ֣בַח וְאֶת־צַלְמֻנָּ֔ע וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־הַשַּׂ֣הֲרֹנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּצַוְּארֵ֥י גְמַלֵּיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Zebahזֶ֫בַחzebach · ZebahH2078
- and Zalmunnaצַלְמֻנָּעtsalmûnnâ‛ · ZalmunnaH6759
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Riseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- thou, and fallפָּגַעpâga‛ · to fall onH6293
- upon us: for as the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- his strengthגְּבוּרָהgebûrâh · mightH1369
- And Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
- and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- and took awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the ornamentsשַׂהֲרוֹןώahărôn · crescentH7720
- on their camels’גָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- necksצַוָּארtsavvâ'r tsavvâr tsavvârôn tsavvâ'râh · neckH6677
Cross-references for Judges 8:21
- Judges 9:54He quickly called his armorbearer. He told him, “Take your sword and kill me! I don’t want anyone to say, ‘A woman killed Abimelech.’ ” His armorbearer did as he said, so Abimelech died.
- 1 Samuel 31:3The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was badly wounded by them.
- Revelation 9:6At that time people will look for death and never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.
- Psalms 83:1O God, do not remain silent. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. Do not keep quiet, O God.
- Isaiah 3:18On that day the Lord will take away their fine things: jingling anklets, headbands, crescent-shaped necklaces,
Commentaries on Judges 8:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise, thou, and fall upon us - It was disgraceful to fall by the hands of a child; and the death occasioned by the blows of such a person must be much more lingering and tormenting. Some have even employed children to despatch captives. Civilis, a Roman knight, headed a revolt of the Gauls against Rome, in the year of the city 824. Of him Tacitus says, Hist. lib. iv., c. 61: Ferebatur parvulo filio quosdam captivorum sagittis…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The ornaments - See marg. and compare Isaiah 3:18. The custom of adorning the necks of their camels with gold chains and ornaments prevailed among the Arabs so late as the time of Mahomet.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 The kings of Midian must be reckoned with. As they confessed themselves guilty of murder, Gideon acted as the avenger of blood, being the next of kin to the persons slain. Little did they think to have heard of this so long after; but murder seldom goes unpunished in this life. Sins long forgotten by man, must be accounted for to God. What poor consolation in death from the hope of suffering less pain, and of dying with less disgrace than…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21crescent ornaments (headbands and crescents in Isaiah 3:18): These were common among desert nomads. Jewelry was a lightweight means of carrying wealth.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2710. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor--a town on the eastern confines of Gad. The wreck of the Midianite army halted there.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 8:21
In the dictionaries
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
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