Judges 8:17

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

Key Reflection

In Judges 8:17, Gideon uses thorns and briers to teach a lesson to the inhabitants of Succoth, symbolizing the harsh consequences of their unhelpfulness during a time when they could have supported him in his military campaign against the Midianites. This act underscores the importance of community support and the painful outcomes of betrayal or neglect.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The men of the city -Perhaps the rulers; who, it is likely, had possession of the tower or citadel, and so could tyrannize over the people. Gideon killed the great men, and beat down their towers, but did not injure the inhabitants.

More from Judges 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion