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1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 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.

22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.

24 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.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 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.

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

<html><b> Can any action of mine compare with yours?</b> How significant were my actions at the beginning in comparison with yours at the end?

<b>Do not Ephraim's underripened gleanings surpass.</b> The gleanings¹<i class=“footnote”> <span>עוֹלְלוֹת</span> are underripened grapes which may not be harvested, but must be left to be gleaned afterward by the poor. (Vayikra, 19:10) Gidon compared his original battle with the Midyonites to the harvest, and the ensuing execution of Orev and Z’ev to the gleaning of the <span>עוֹלְלוֹת</span>.</i> which you acquired at the end surpass the early harvest which my family and I gathered, for Adonoy delivered the kings into your hands.</html>

<html><b> What could I have</b> done that would have been as significant as your accomplishments?</html>

<html><b> He crossed with the three hundred men.</b> They crossed the Yardein after Zevach and Tzalmuna, who had crossed previously and wreaked destruction across the Yardein, in the territory of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe. He crossed to take revenge against them as well.</html>

<html><b> To the people of Succos.</b> They were Yisroelites.</html>

<html><b> Are the palms of Zevach and Tzalmuna</b> in your hands that you pride yourself in having rescued us from the hand of Midyon.</html>

<html><b> Thorns.</b> “Ronzes” in old French.</html>

<html><b> At Karkor.</b> The name of a place.</html>

<html><b> By way of the tent dwellers.</b> By way of the lands of Kedar and Arabia, whose inhabitants were wilderness tent dwellers. Since they were occupied exclusively as shepherds, they could not dwell in houses. <b>East of Novach and Yagbeha.</b> These were Yisroelite cities. He chose not to pass through them, but rather travelled roundabout, so that they would remain undetected, and could overwhelm them by surprise.</html>

<html><b> With the sun high.</b> Before sunset, with the sun still visible high above the horizon.</html>

<html><b> Tore with them.</b> “Broke apart” with them.²<i class=“footnote”>This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.</i></html>

<html><b> Singular, of princely appearance.</b> Yonasan explains that one of them was of princely appearance.³<i class=“footnote”>Yonasan’s reading is: “One was exactly like you, of princely appearance.”</i> However, this may be interpreted as, “They were exactly like you, all of singular appearance, for they were of princely appearance.”</html>

<html><b> But the boy would not draw his sword</b> to execute them, for he was afraid of them.</html>

<html><b> Crescent chains.</b> Lunettes in old French, moonshaped, made of gold.</html>

<html><b> The crescent chains and crowns.</b> The neckbands and crowns.⁴<i class=“footnote”>This is Targum Yonasan’s rendition.</i></html>

<html><b> Gidon fashioned it into an apron</b> as a memorial to the the great salvation, demonstrating how enormous their forces were, as the nose rings of their eminent men contained so much gold. <b>All of Yisroel were perverted towards it</b> after Gidon's demise.⁵<i class=“footnote”>But not during his lifetime. Gidon’s intentions were pure. (See Yalkut, 64.)</i></html>

<html><b> Baal beris.</b> This was his name.</html>

<html><b> They did not act benevolently.</b> They murdered his children, as stated in the narrative.⁶<i class=“footnote”>Ch. 9.</i></html>