Judges 8:23

Judges 8:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
• New International Version (NIV)But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.”

Context of Judges 8:23

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Be a man! Kill us yourself!” So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels. 22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.” But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you! 24However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.” (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.) 25“Gladly!” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder.

Judges 8:23 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ גִּדְע֔וֹן לֹֽא־אֶמְשֹׁ֤ל אֲנִי֙ בָּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִמְשֹׁ֥ל בְּנִ֖י בָּכֶ֑ם יְהוָ֖ה יִמְשֹׁ֥ל בָּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, I will not ruleמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
• over you, neither shall my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• over you: the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Judges 8:23

• Judges 2:18Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.
• Judges 10:18The leaders of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever attacks the Ammonites first will become ruler over all the people of Gilead.”
• Judges 11:9Jephthah said to the elders, “Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?”
• Luke 22:24Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
• 2 Corinthians 1:24But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.
• 1 Peter 5:3Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.
• 1 Samuel 8:6Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.
• 1 Samuel 10:19But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”
• 1 Samuel 12:12“But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king.
• Isaiah 33:22For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us.
• Isaiah 63:19Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you, as though we had never been known as your people.

Commentaries on Judges 8:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The Lord shall rule over you - Few with such power at their command would have acted as Gideon. His speech calls them back to their first principles, and should have excited in them both shame and contrition. How different is this speech from that of Oliver Cromwell when the commons offered him the crown of England!Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-28Verses 22-28 Gideon refused the government the people offered him. No good man can be pleased with any honour done to himself, which belongs only to God. Gideon thought to keep up the remembrance of this victory by an ephod, made of the choicest of the spoils. But probably this ephod had, as usual, a teraphim annexed to it, and Gideon intended this for an oracle to be consulted. Many are led into false ways by one false step of a good man. It became a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32Gideon's time as a judge ends the first era of judges.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us ... Gideon said unto them, the Lord shall rule over you--Their unbounded admiration and gratitude prompted them, in the enthusiasm of the moment, to raise their deliverer to a throne, and to establish a royal dynasty in his house. But Gideon knew too well, and revered too piously the principles of the theocracy, to entertain the proposal for a moment. Personal and family ambition was cheerfully…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 8:23

• Gideon
• Israel
• Theocracy
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• Gideon
• Request
• Resemble
• Zebah
• Abdon (1)
• Government
• Israel, History of
• Judges, Book of
• Judges, Period of
• Theocracy

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