What Does Judges 8:1 Mean?

“said”

to say (used with great latitude)

near, with or among; often in general, to

“And the men”

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

“of Ephraim”

ephrajim, a son of joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory

“unto him Why hast thou”

properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and

“us thus”

a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

“served”

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

properly, a failure of, i.e., (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because n

“that thou calledst”

to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

“us not when thou wentest”

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

“to fight”

to feed on; figuratively, to consume

“with the Midianites”

midjan, a son of abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants

“And they did chide”

properly, to toss, i.e., grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e., hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc

“with him sharply”

vehemence (usually in a bad sense)