And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

JUDGES 8:30KJV
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Judges 8:30 (KJV)

What does Judges 8:30 mean?

Judges 8:30 describes the size of Gideon’s family. His seventy sons were his own children, and the verse connects their number to his having many wives.

The KJV’s “threescore and ten” means seventy. The phrase “of his body begotten” emphasizes that the sons were born to Gideon, rather than merely being members of his wider household.

The Hebrew behind Judges 8:30

  • “body” — יָרֵךְ (yarēkh): The word often means “thigh” or “loin.” Here it forms part of an expression for children who come from a person’s own body.
  • “begotten” — יָצָא (yāṣāʾ): The word often means “to go out” or “come out.” Together with “body,” it pictures the sons as coming from Gideon himself.

Why Judges 8:30 matters

  • The number has consequences for the story that follows. Judges 9:5 later refers to Gideon’s seventy sons when describing violence within the family.
  • The next verse adds another member of Gideon’s household. Judges 8:31 names Abimelech as a son born to Gideon by a woman in Shechem; Abimelech becomes central to the events in Judges 9.

Where else these words appear

“body” Hebrew H3409 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
  • Exodus 32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
  • Numbers 8:4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

“Gideon” Hebrew H1439 · used in 37 verses

  • Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
  • Judges 7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
  • Judges 8:7 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.

“ten” Hebrew H7657 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
  • Numbers 7:73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 2 Chronicles 2:2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.