Juízes 8
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Juízes 8
Guzik - When we set out to do the Lord’s work, often the resistance we face is from our friends. We can’t allow this to hinder or discourage our work. (Judges 8 Commentary) NET Note - Hebrew literally is “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses
Juízes 8
Guzik quips that "Gideon definitely gave the right answer when he said he didn’t want to be a king; yet in the rest of the chapter he acted like one. His words were humble but his actions were not. It is easier to talk about humility and service to God than it is to actually live it." Success is not always so easy to handle. Thomas Carlyle wrote that “only one in a hundred passes the test of prosperity.” Spurgeon’s spiritual presence of mind when he was approached by an over-effusive admirer, following a particularly brilliant sermon is reflected in the following response…“Mr. Spurgeon, you were wonderful,” she crooned. To which the reply came, “Madam, the devil whispered those same words in my ear, as I left the pulpit.” Judges 8.23 G Campbell Morgan I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you. Judges 8.23 Here was clearly manifested the decline of the people from the high ideal and central glory of their national life. They were a Theocracy, needing (and so far having) no king other than Jehovah. Their creation as a nation by God was in order that this true conception of life should have its manifestation among other nations. Their peculiarity was their distinctive feature, and their secret of power among the nations surrounding them. All the recurring discipline through which they passed resulted from their rebellion against the rule of God, and constituted His method of restoring them to that rule. They found relief in the judges who were raised up of God, and began to hanker after some ruler, visible, and of their own number. They thought that, by securing this, they would preserve themselves from the recurrence of these troubles. So they proposed establishing an hereditary ruler-ship, that is, kingship, and they asked Gideon to accept the position. He declined in these words, and by. so doing revealed his clear understanding of the truth about the nation. That is the true attitude of all those whom God raised up to lead and deliver His people. Their leadership must ever stop short of sovereignty. Their business is never that of superseding the Divine rule; but of interpreting it, and of leading the people to recognition of it, and submission to it. This is true, not only of kings, but also of priests, prophets, and preachers. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible). Lawson G Stone - Gideon, who exhibited such a preoccupation at the beginning of his career with finding and confirming Yahweh's will, climaxed his career by creating a cult object he (mistakenly) hoped would provide enhanced access to the divine will (Moore 1895:232-233; Crüsemann 1978:47-50). He likely did not consider it an actual idol or image (Burney 1920:236-243), but clearly the people soon treated it so. In contrast to this ephod, Gideon had begun his career by himself becoming the glorious garment of the Spirit of Yahweh and the living proof of Yahweh's will to save his people (see note on 6:34). Gideon's rejection of the offer of permanent rule and establishment of the ephod exchanged a living "garment" of Yahweh for a dead one made of gold. (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Joshua, Judges, Ruth ) Judges 8:24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) give me: Ge 24:22,53 Ex 12:35 32:3 1Pe 3:3-5 For they had gold earrings: Ge 16:10,11 25:13 37:25,28 1Sa 25:11 1Ki 20:11 Judges 8 Resources GIDEON GETS IT WRONG HERE! Yet Gideon said to them - The Hebrew conjunction here is translated in most translations as "and," but the NAS has "yet" which is acceptable and in context is actually a more accurate reflection of the events that transpired. In other words "yet" (like "but") generally marks a contrast or a change of direction (so to speak) and in this context marks a striking change of direction from the "right way" (Jdg 8:23) to the "wrong way!" The strong contrast in this verse is like a great ocean separating two continents, one good and the other evil. The human heart is truly more deceitful than all else (Jer 17:9). The man who had just given such a magnificent lead to his fellow Israelites, now sets a deplorable example of self-indulgence. Perhaps this speaks to the fact that it is easier to honor God in some courageous action in the limelight of a time of national emergency than it is to honor Him consistently in the ordinary, everyday life, which requires a different kind of courage. Gideon who came thru the test of adversity with flying colors was not the first nor the last to be less successful in the test of prosperity! THOUGHT - Andrew Bonar's counsel would have been good for Gideon to have heard & heeded and it is good counsel for all believers today - “Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.” Judges 8 gives some interesting insights into how Gideon handled some difficult situations (remember 1Cor 10:6,11) I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil (shalal) - The people requested Gideon rule, but he requested some earrings from their spoil. The actual wording could just as easily refer to nose rings. Piercings were common in the 12 century BC, much like they are in 21st century. However, Gideon used this opportunity to ask for “a lesser thing”—all their earrings and ornaments. This was in essence a form of virtual taxation. And although this seemed like a fitting gift for a great deliverer, keep in mind that these golden trinkets were associated with idol worship. Crescents in [Jdg 8:21] were connected with moon-worship (goddess Astarte). See Ge 35:1-4] for association between earrings and idolatry. (cp Ex 32:2-4 = fashioned a molten calf). Beware of the "little foxes" (Song 2:15) because over time they can become a spiritual "Tyranosaurus Rex"! THOUGHT - Gideon ran the race with endurance for a time (that's why he is in Heb 11:32+) but he did not finish his course, and he did not keep the faith as the apostle Paul did and as do all who have loved His appearing (2Ti 4:7,8+). Lord, give us a holy fear of the ever present danger that we might stumble off Thy highway of holiness and not finish our race as Paul did. Amen. For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites: nomadic traders which the Midianites were. The term Ishmaelites originally referred to another nomadic tribe descended from Hagar (Ge 16:15) but the term apparently took on a broader usage so that it is here applied to the Midianites (cf Ge 37:25, 28). Arthur Cundall - These Midianites are described as Ishmaelites, an unusual reference since the Midianites traced their descent through Keturah (Gen. 25:2), the Ishmaelites through Hagar (Gen. 16:15). The probable explanation is that the term Ishmaelites had come to be used very loosely to describe any trading nomadic group (cf. Gen. 37:25, 27, 28; 39:1). (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) EARRING [ISBE] - er'-ring: An ornamental pendant of some kind hanging from the ears has been worn by both sexes in oriental lands from the earliest times. Among the Greeks and Romans, as with western peoples in general, its use was confined to females. The ears in the statue of the Medicean Venus are pierced and probably were originally ornamented with earrings. It is clear, however, that among the Hebrews and related oriental peoples earrings were worn by both sexes. Abraham's servant "put the earring upon (Rebekah's) face, and the bracelets upon her hands" (Gen 24:47 the King James Version), in accordance with custom, evidently, but it is implied that it was customary for men also to wear earrings, in that the relatives and friends of Job "every one (gave him) an earring of gold" (Job 42:11 the King James Version). Such ornaments were usually made of gold, finely wrought, and often set with precious stones, as archaeology has shown. Such jewels were worn in ancient times for protective as well as for decorative purposes. the Revised Version (British and American) renders "amulets" for the King James Version "earrings" in Isa 3:20, the Hebrew word (lechashim) being elsewhere associated with serpent-charming; but the earrings of Gen 35:4, also, were more than mere ornaments, so the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) may both be right in their renderings here (Kennedy). The influence of Egypt, where amulets of various kinds were worn by men and gods, by the living and the dead, is shown by recent excavations at Gezer, Taanach and Megiddo. Drr AMULET; ORNAMENT. George. B. Eager ISHMAELITES [ISBE] - ish'-ma-el-its (yishme`e'lim): The supposed descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, whom Abraham sent away from him after the birth of Isaac (Gen 21:14-21). The sons of Ishmael are given in Gen 25:13,14; they were twelve in number and gave rise to as many tribes, but the term Ishmaelite has a broader signification, as appears from Gen 37:28. 36, where it is identified with Midianite. From Gen 16:12 it may be inferred that it was applied to the Bedouin of the desert region East of the Jordan generally, for the character there assigned to Ishmael, "His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him," fits the habits of Bedouin in all ages. Such was the character of the Midianites as described in Jdg 7, who are again identified with the Ishmaelites (Jdg 8:24). These references show that the Ishmaelites were not confined to the descendants of the son of Abraham and Hagar, but refer to the desert tribes in general, like "the children of the east" (Jdg 7:12). H. Porter Judges 8:25 And they said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. Judges 8 Resources GOLD FOR GIDEON And they said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil (shalal): The Israelites did not hesitate to contribute from their spoil, for to the victor go the spoils. Most of the items given to Gideon often were worn by women in Israel. The "earrings" (nezem) were sometimes rather "nose rings" for brides (Ge 24:47; Ezek 16:12). The word for "chains" (`anaqoth) is rendered "necklace" in Song 4:9. Guzik remarks that "The people were happy to give this, and it is hard to say that Gideon did not deserve this huge fortune. At the same time it was inappropriate, because it lifted him far above the level of the people he would lead, and it was at their expense. A general rule of thumb is that Christian leaders who make their living from the gifts of God’s people should live at the level of their own people – not below or above. Spoil (07998) shalal is a masculine noun which means spoils, plunder, booty, all referring to what is taken by force or violence usually in the context of war and taking spoils was sometimes one of the principle motivations for going to war. Military raids were sometimes ill-disguised plundering expeditions, such as the ill-fated Amalekite raid against Ziklag described in 1 Samuel 30:16, 19, 20, 22, 26. Sometimes shalal was seized as an act of political aggression (Esther 3:13; 8:11). Taking plunder or spoil was an act of aggression by the wicked on the weak or righteous (Pr 1:13). The Septuagint has skulon which means booty or spoil, including armor and weapons stripped from slain soldiers. Judges 8:26 And the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks. purple: Es 8:15 Jer 10:9 Eze 27:7 Lk 16:19 Jn 19:2,5 Rev 17:4 Rev 18:12,16 chains: Jdg 8:21 Judges 8 Resources Gideon Collects the Gold Earrings GOLD & GARMENTS FIT FOR A KING And the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold: While Gideon refused the request to rule, he certainly did not refuse the "goodies" that are "fit for a king." How much gold was this - estimates are in the range of 42-43 pounds (one source says between 40-75 pounds depending on whether the light or heavy shekel is intended), which in 2022 would be about 964,270 in U.S. dollars, 914,914 in Euros or 772,235 British pounds. Besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks: The men gave even more than Gideon's request. "Pendants" (netipoth) occurs in the same list of women's ornaments with regard to v. 21 (Is 3:19, "earrings"). So although Gideon refused to be king, Gideon retains the king's symbols of royalty: the crescent ornaments worn by the camels (Jdg 8:21), the pendants, the purple robes formerly worn by the Midianite kings, the neckbands worn by the camels around their necks! Were his words earlier truly the "high point" of his spiritual life as some interpret? Or were his words a sham humility and external bowing to the Lordship of Jehovah? Or did the coveting virus infect him about this time and spread so rapidly that he quickly forgot his noble defense of the Most High God? We probably won't know until glory but obviously somewhere in this time, in the midst of the "applause" and "adoration" (cp Pr 27:21), Gideon began to get a glimmer in his eye for the finer things of life… and why not? After all he had become the valiant warrior the Angel of the LORD had predicted and valiant warriors were compensated royally. THOUGHT - Gideon's final lap of the race is food for thought as we all put our pants on the same way Gideon did (cp 1Co 10:12). And our flesh is just as vulnerable to the "viruses" of coveting and pride today as it was in Gideon's day. Jesus warned us to "Keep watching and praying, (present imperative = both verbs are commands to make this one's habitual practice. Why? Because we are continually at risk of falling into the snares of temptation! And see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mt 26:41+) Judges 8:27 And Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. an ephod: Jdg 17:5 18:14,17 Ex 28:6-12 1Sa 23:9,10 Isa 8:20 Ophrah: Jdg 8:32 6:11,24 Dt 12:5 all Israel played the harlot: Ex 23:33 Ps 73:27 106:39 Ho 2:2 4:12-14 a snare (moqesh): Jdg 8:33 Dt 7:16 Judges 8 Resources Related Passage: Deuteronomy 7:16+ “You shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, nor shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. Judges 2:3+ - “Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare (moqesh) to you.’” Playing the harlot with the gold Ephod IDOLATRY LEADS TO SPIRITUAL IMMORALITY And Gideon made it into an ephod (ephod), and placed it in his city, Ophrah (map): What a contrast with (Jdg 6:24,27,28) where Gideon built 2 altars to Jehovah and destroyed one idolatrous altar to Baal! Elsewhere in the OT “ephod” denotes the priest’s special breast piece (cf. Ex 28:15-30+). In Jdg 17:5+; Jdg 18:14-20+ the same word refers to the priestly vestments of Micah. But because this object is erected in Gideon’s city and becomes an object of pagan worship the meaning uncertain here. Gideon may have had good intentions (but I have my doubts about that!) for he may have wanted to consult the Lord's will or to give the people something tangible to remind them of the Lord's intervention. If if we "cut him some slack" his intentions were unbiblical and ultimately destructive! And so we should not be surprised that the idol-prone Israelites made the ephod into an object of worship. Can we not see the incredible irony from the beginning of Gideon's life when he boldly broke up his father's altar to Baal, but now was in effect setting a trap for his own family and the entire nation! John MacArthur on the ephod - Gideon intended nothing more than to make a breastpiece as David did (1Ch 15:27) to indicate civil, not priestly rule. It was never intended to set up idolatrous worship, but to be a symbol of civil power. That no evil was intended can be noted from the subduing of Midian (v. 28), quietness from wars (v. 28), and the fact that idolatry came after Gideon's death (v. 33) as well as the commendation of Gideon (v. 35). (See MacArthur Study Bible or borrow The MacArthur Study Bible) Guzik Gideon was remarkably obedient and filled with faith in the extreme moment of battle. The routine of daily living seems to have been a greater test of his character. This is true for many, and the challenges of daily living are more difficult than those of the extreme moment. Arthur Cundall agrees that "Perhaps it is easier to honour God in some courageous action in the limelight of a time of national emergency than it is to honour Him consistently in the ordinary, everyday life, which requires a different kind of courage. Gideon, who came through the test of adversity with flying colours, was not the first nor the last to be less successful in the test of prosperity.” (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) Lawson G Stone - The story that began with a divine revelation and the destruction of idols in the Ophrah sanctuary culminates sadly in the erection of a new cultic image in that very place. Gideon's image might not violate the first commandment, since presumably this ephod was dedicated to Yahweh. It did put the second commandment at risk: the worship of the right God in the wrong manner, rejecting divinely revealed truth for images of God of one's own manufacture. (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Joshua, Judges, Ruth )