Hakim-hakim 8:28-35

Gideon’s Story Ends

8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. ¹  The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. ²  8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. ³  8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. ⁴  8:31 His concubine, ⁵  who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. ⁶  8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very ⁷  old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith ⁸  their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true ⁹  to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat ¹⁰  the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.

[8:28]  ¹ tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”

[8:28]  ² tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”

[8:29]  ³ tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”

[8:30]  ⁴ tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.

[8:31]  ⁵ sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

[8:31]  ⁶ sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”

[8:32]  ⁷ tn Heb “good.”

[8:33]  ⁸ sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.

[8:34]  ⁹ tn Heb “remember.”

[8:35]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”