Zalmunna

4Gideon came to the Jordan River and crossed it. His three hundred men crossed with him. They were worn out, but they kept chasing the enemy.

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

NoteThe Jordan is the big river running down the middle of the land. Crossing it took Gideon away from home and out into wild country.

5He said to the men of the town of Succoth, "Please give my men some bread. They are worn out. I am still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

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.

NoteSuccoth was a town of Israelites, Gideon's own people. That is why he expected them to hand over bread without arguing.

6But the leaders of Succoth said, "Have you caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet? Why should we give bread to your army?"

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?

NoteThe King James says, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand." To have someone's hand meant to have caught him. The men are asking, have you won yet? They did not want to help unless Gideon was sure to win.

7Gideon said, "Then when the LORD hands Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will come back. I will tear your skin with sharp desert thorns and prickly branches."

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.

8From there he went up to the town of Penuel and asked for the same help. The men of Penuel answered him just like the men of Succoth had.

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.

9So Gideon told the men of Penuel, "When I come back safe, I will knock down this tower."

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

NoteA town built one tall stone tower as a safe place. People ran inside it when enemies came. Knocking the tower down left the town wide open.

10Zebah and Zalmunna were at a place called Karkor with their army. About fifteen thousand men were left. They were all that remained of the armies from the east. A hundred and twenty thousand fighting men had already died.

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.

11Gideon went up by the road where the tent people lived, east of Nobah and Jogbehah. He attacked the army by surprise, when they thought they were safe.

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.

NoteSome people lived in tents instead of houses. They moved around with their sheep and goats to find grass.

12Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, but Gideon chased them. He caught both kings of Midian. He scattered their whole army in panic.

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.

13Then Gideon son of Joash came back from the battle, before the sun came up.

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

NoteThe King James says Gideon came back "before the sun was up." The old Hebrew words may instead be the name of a hill road. Nobody today is fully sure which it means.

14He caught a young man from Succoth and asked him questions. The young man wrote down the names of the town's leaders and older men. There were seventy-seven of them.

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.

NoteA score means twenty. So "threescore and seventeen" is seventy-seven. The elders were the older men who made decisions for the town.

15Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You made fun of me about them. You said, 'Have you caught them yet? Why should we feed your tired men?'"

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?

16So he took the older leaders of the town. He used sharp desert thorns and prickly branches, and he punished the men of Succoth with them.

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

NoteThe King James says Gideon "taught" the men of Succoth. Here taught means punished. It is an old, grim way of saying he taught them a lesson.

17He also knocked down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of that town.

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

18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What were the men like that you killed at Mount Tabor?" They answered, "They looked like you. Each one looked like a king's son."

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.

NoteTabor is a round hill in the north of the land. Saying the men looked like a king's sons meant they looked strong and important.

19Gideon said, "Those were my brothers, my own mother's sons. As surely as the LORD lives, I would not kill you if you had let them live."

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.

Note"As the LORD liveth" was a way of making a very strong promise. It is like saying, I really mean this. In those days a man was expected to punish whoever killed his brother.

20He said to Jether, his oldest son, "Get up and kill them." But the boy did not pull out his sword. He was afraid, because he was still young.

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.

NoteKilling captured kings was a job for an honored fighter. Letting his son do it would have shown the boy as a grown warrior. Jether was too young and too scared.

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself. A grown man has a grown man's strength." So Gideon got up and killed them both. He took the curved ornaments off their camels' necks.

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.

NoteCamels wore fancy ornaments shaped like little curved moons. They hung around the animal's neck and showed the owner was rich.

9Do to them what You did to Midian long ago. Do what You did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

NoteMidian, Sisera, and Jabin were enemies who attacked Israel long before this song. God helped Israel win those fights. The Kishon is a river in the north of Israel.

10Those enemies died at Endor. Their bodies lay on the ground like waste in a field.

Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

NoteEndor was a small town near that river. "Waste in a field" means animal droppings. Farmers spread them on the ground to help plants grow.

11Make their leaders end up like Oreb and Zeeb. Make all their rulers end up like Zebah and Zalmunna.

Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

NoteOreb and Zeeb were two leaders of Midian's army. Zebah and Zalmunna were two of their kings. All four lost the fight against Israel.

12Those men said, "Let us take God's land and keep it for ourselves."

Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

NoteThe old words say "the houses of God." This means the grassy land where sheep ate, the land God gave to his people.