King James Version
What Does Judges 8:12 Mean?
“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. discomfited: Heb. terrified”
Context
10
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. men that: or, every one drawing a sword
11
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.
12
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. discomfited: Heb. terrified
13
And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14
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. described: Heb. writ
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(12) **When Zebah and Zalmunna fled.**—In Psalm 83:13-14, we, perhaps, find a reminiscence of the precipitancy of their flight, “like a wheel,” *i.e., *like a winged, rolling seed, and like stubble before a hurricane, and like a conflagration leaping through a mountain forest. (*Dict. of Bible, *s. v. *Oreb; *Stanley, i. 347.)
**Discomfited.**—Rather, as in the margin, *terrified. *It was the infliction of a second panic which enabled him to seize the two principal Emîrs.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Judges 8:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Judges 8:12
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge