Gideon’s second campaign
1 The people of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight against Midian?” They argued with him violently.
2 He said to them, “What have I done in comparison with what you have done? Are not the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 Yahweh has given the leaders of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb—into your hands. What have I been able to do in comparison with what you have done?” After hearing this, their anger lessened.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted and hungry.
5 So he said to the people of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the army that follows me, for they are exhausted and hungry, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zal mun na, the kings of Midian.”
6 But the elders of Succoth answered, “Have you by chance already restrained the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna? Why should we give bread to your army?”
7 Gi de on answered them, “Well, when Yah weh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will skin your flesh with the thorns and thistles of the desert.”
8 From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request. But they answered him as those of Succoth had.
9 So Gideon said, “When I return victorious, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the people of the East; a hundred and twenty thousand warriors had died!
11 Gideon went up by the road of the nomads, east of Nobah and Yogbehah, and fell upon Zebah and Zalmunna and their army.
12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them, took the two as prisoners and scattered all their army.
13 After the battle, Gideon, the son of Joash, returned through the slope of Heres.
14 He caught a young man of the people of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15 Gideon went to the people of Succoth and said to them, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna about whom you mocked me by saying: Have you by chance already restrained the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna for us to give bread to your hungry troops?”
16 So he took the elders of the town and punished the people of Succoth with thorns and thistles of the desert.
17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the inhabitants of the town.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What did the men whom you killed at Tabor look like?” They answered, “They looked like you, they looked like sons of kings.”
19 Gideon answered, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
20 He said to Yether, his eldest son, “Courage, kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword; he did not dare do it for he was still very young.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise and kill us your self, for as the man is, so is his courage.” Gideon arose and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s error
22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Since you have saved us from the Midianites, you shall be our king, and after you, your son and the descendants of your son.”
23 But Gideon answered, “I will not rule over Israel, nor my son, for Yahweh is our king!”
24 Gideon added, “I will ask something from you. Let each of you give me an earring from your booty.” Gideon said this for these Midianites wore gold earrings like all the Ishmaelites.
25 They answered him, “That we will gladly do.” Then Gideon spread out his cloak and every Israelite threw in an earring from his booty.
26 The gold earrings reached one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold; not counting the brooches, the rings, the expensive gar ments used by the kings of Midian, and the collars of the camels.
27 With this money, Gideon made an idol and put it in his city of Ophrah. People from all Israel began to go to that place, turning away from Yahweh. That was the trap into which Gideon and his family fell.
28 In spite of this, the Midianites were hum bled in such a way that peace reigned in Is rael for forty years during Gideon’s lifetime.
29 Gideon returned to Ophrah and remained in his house.
30 He had seventy sons of his blood, for he had many wives.
31 A woman from the city of Shechem also bore him a son whom he named Abi melech.
32 Gideon the son of Joash died at a happy old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of Abiezer.
33 After the death of Gideon, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals and took Baal-Berith as god.
34 The Israelites no longer remembered Yahweh, their God, who had freed them from the hands of all the enemies who surrounded them.
35 Neither were they grateful to the family of Jerubaal-Gideon for all the good things he had done to Israel.
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Comments Judges, Chapter 8
• 8.22 The Israelites had to form a nation, and this stage would bring great progress after the anarchy created by disunited and disorganized tribes. For the first time in the Bible, the desire to have a king is hinted at in 8:22-31.
Perhaps those who edited the present book in the last century of the kingdom of Jerusalem had been so mistreated by their rulers that they dreamt of a time in the past when there had been neither kings nor administrators. They thought that Israel, being the people of God, had no need of permanent chiefs like the rest of the nations, that perhaps it would have been better had they lived day by day, trusting in Yahweh who would raise up a liberator whenever necessary.
That is why the Book of Judges remarks on Gideon’s refusal to be their king: Yahweh has to be your king. Unfortunately, Gideon asked for gold instead of authority, and, by this, the hero destroyed everything he had done for his people.
All these saviors: Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samson are very disappointing—like many of those who now speak of liberating oppressed people. What lesson shall we draw from these bitter experiences which Scripture recalls? That political action is useless and that we should in stead focus our efforts on prayer and catechetical work? Shall we leave to others the struggle for justice? Justice is inscribed on every page of the Bible.
Actually, to speak of politics is to speak of power, and power corrupts those who do not have a well formed conscience. Little can be ex pected of politics where a conscience has not been formed early in a healthy family where a child discovers love and fidelity in his parents (two qualities that are never separated in the Bible), and has not been formed by parents ready to use their authority to control whims.
Later, a time will come when God will give priority to personal formation in the family for believers: the time of the Wisdom books and the observance of the Law.