And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Parallel translations
- WEB He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
- BSB Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
- NKJV And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
- NASB Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.
- NLT Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Gideon disciplines Succoth's elders with thorns and briers as he had vowed.
Overview
He carries out his threat, 'teaching' the leaders a painful lesson for their contempt. The judgment, though severe, falls on those who had mocked God's deliverer and refused mercy to the weary. Interpreters differ on the precise nature of the punishment, but its purpose is clear discipline for faithlessness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Judg 8:7And 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.
- Prov 10:13In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
- Prov 19:29Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
- Ezra 2:6The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
- Mic 7:4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 8:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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