Judges 8:24

Judges 8:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
• New International Version (NIV)And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

Context of Judges 8:24

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.” 23But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you! However, 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. 26The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.

Judges 8:24 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם גִּדְע֗וֹן אֶשְׁאֲלָ֤ה מִכֶּם֙ שְׁאֵלָ֔ה וּתְנוּ־לִ֕י אִ֖ישׁ נֶ֣זֶם שְׁלָל֑וֹ כִּֽי־נִזְמֵ֤י זָהָב֙ לָהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים הֵֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, I would desireשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• a requestשְׁאֵלָהshe'êlâh shêlâh · petitionH7596
• of you, that ye would giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• me every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• the earringsנֶ֫זֶםnezem · ringH5141
• of his preyשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• For they had goldenזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• Ishmaelitesיִשְׁמְעֵאלִיyishmâ‛ê'lîy · IshmaeliteH3459

Cross-references for Judges 8:24

• Genesis 24:22Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.
• Exodus 12:35And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold.
• Exodus 32:3All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.
• 1 Peter 3:3Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
• Genesis 16:10Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
• Genesis 25:13Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
• Genesis 37:25Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
• 1 Samuel 25:11Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
• 1 Kings 20:11The king of Israel sent back this answer: “A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.”

Commentaries on Judges 8:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Give me every man the ear-rings of his prey - The spoils taken from their enemies in this warfare. This is a transaction very like to that of the Israelites and Aaron; when they brought him their golden ear-rings, out of which he made the molten calf, Exodus 32:2, etc. Whether Gideon designed this ephod for an instrument of worship, or merely as a trophy, is not very clear. It is most likely that he had intended to establish a place of worship at Ophrah…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24In this desire for gold Gideon falls to the level of ordinary men, and we may see in it the first decline of his glory, leading to a sad tarnishing of the luster of his bright name. The idolatrous honor paid to Gideon‘s ephod was probably a source of revenue to his house. Contrast the conduct of Abraham Genesis 14:21-23, and of Elisha 2 Kings 5:16, 2 Kings 5:26. The “ear-ring” here mentioned is properly a “nose-ring” (compare Genesis 24:22 note). The…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. 24Both Ishmaelites and Midianites descended from Abraham (Genesis 16:15; 25:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-2624-26. Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you--This was the contribution of an earring (singular). As the ancient Arabians (Ishmaelites and Midianites being synonymous terms, Ge 37:25, 28) were gorgeously adorned with barbaric pearl and gold, an immense amount of such valuable booty had fallen into the hands of the Israelitish soldiers. The contribution was liberally made, and the quantity of gold given to him is estimated at £3113…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 8:24

• Gideon
• Ishmaelites
• Israel
• Midianites

In the dictionaries

• Gideon
• Request
• Resemble
• Teraphim
• Zebah
• Abdon (1)
• East, Children of the
• Gold
• Government
• Israel, History of

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