New Living Translation
Judges 8:27
27Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.
Judges 8:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
- New International Version (NIV)Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
Context of Judges 8:27
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. Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family. 28That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land. 29Then Gideon son of Joash returned home.
Read all of Judges 8Judges 8:27 word by word
וַיַּעַשׂ֩ אוֹת֨וֹ גִדְע֜וֹן לְאֵפ֗וֹד וַיַּצֵּ֨ג אוֹת֤וֹ בְעִירוֹ֙ בְּעָפְרָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֧וּ כָֽל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אַחֲרָ֖יו שָׁ֑ם וַיְהִ֛י לְגִדְע֥וֹן וּלְבֵית֖וֹ לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
- madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- an ephodאֵפוֹד'êphôd 'êphôd · ephodH646
- thereof, and putיָצַגyâtsag · to setH3322
- it in his cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- in Ophrahעׇפְרָה‛ophrâh · OphrahH6084
- and all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- went thither a whoringזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- it: which thing became a snareמוֹקֵשׁmôqêsh môqêsh · snareH4170
- and to his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for Judges 8:27
- Judges 17:5Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.
- Judges 18:14The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?”
- Exodus 28:6“The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
- 1 Samuel 23:9But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do.
- Isaiah 8:20Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
- Judges 8:32Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer.
- Judges 6:11Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
- Deuteronomy 12:5Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.
- Exodus 23:33They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”
- Psalms 73:27Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.
- Psalms 106:39They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.
- Hosea 2:2“But now bring charges against Israel—your mother— for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
- Hosea 4:12They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God.
- Judges 8:33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.
- Deuteronomy 7:16“You must destroy all the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.
Commentaries on Judges 8:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Gideon made an ephod thereof - That is, he made an ephod out of this mass of gold; but he could not employ it all in making this one garment, for it is not likely that any man could wear a coat of nearly one hundred pounds weight. It is likely that he made a whole tabernacle service in miniature out of this gold. All Israel went thither a whoring after it - This form of speech often occurs, and has been often explained. The whole Jewish nation is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27The ephod was that particular part of the high priest‘s dress which was necessary to be worst when he inquired of God by Urim and Thummim. It seems that Gideon being now the civil ruler, desired to have an ephod of his own, kept in his own city, to he worn by the priest whenever Gideon might summon him to inquire of the Lord for him. His relations with the tribe of Ephraim probably made him unwilling to resort to Shiloh. Compare the act of Jeroboam 1…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. 27An ephod was usually part of the priest's clothing (Exodus 28:6–30). Samuel and David also wore one (1 Samuel 2:18; 2 Samuel 6:14; 1 Chronicles 15:27). However, in Judges 17:5 and 18:14–18, the ephod seems to have been a gold image, which became an idol.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, ... Ophrah--That no idolatrous use was in view, nor any divisive course from Shiloh contemplated, is manifest from Jud 8:33. Gideon proposed, with the gold he received, to make an ephod for his use only as a civil magistrate or ruler, as David did (1Ch 15:27), and a magnificent pectoral or breastplate also. It would seem, from the history, that he was not blamable in making this ephod, as a civil…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 8:27
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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