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.

JUDGES 8:7KJV
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Judges 8:7 (KJV)

What does Judges 8:7 mean?

Judges 8:7 records Gideon's warning to the people of Succoth that, after God delivers the enemy leaders Zebah and Zalmunna into his hands, he will punish them harshly with thorns and briers from the wilderness. Gideon is responding to the townspeople's refusal to help his exhausted men as they pursue these Midianite kings.

Gideon is speaking directly to the leaders of Succoth, a town in Israel, after they refused to provide food for his troops. The verse shows Gideon's frustration and determination, promising a severe consequence—being whipped or scourged with painful desert plants—once he returns victorious. This threat highlights the seriousness of refusing aid to fellow Israelites during a time of national crisis.

The Hebrew behind Judges 8:7

  • "tear" (לָדַשׁ, lādaš): This word means to thresh or trample, but here it is used figuratively for a harsh, painful punishment. Gideon is not just threatening a mild rebuke but a severe physical penalty.
  • "thorns" (קוֹץ, qôts) and "briers" (בַּרְקָן, barkān): Both refer to sharp, prickly plants common in the wilderness. Their mention emphasizes the pain and humiliation intended in the punishment, using what is readily available in the harsh landscape.

Why Judges 8:7 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Gideon's anger is not just personal but tied to the community's responsibility to support those fighting for Israel's freedom.
  • The threat of punishment with thorns and briers shows the seriousness of refusing to help in a time of need, especially when God's deliverance is at stake.
  • The verse sets up the later events in the chapter, where Gideon follows through on his warning, showing the importance of trust and unity among the Israelites during crisis.

Where else these words appear

“briers” Hebrew H1303 · used in 2 verses

  • Judges 8:16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

“Zebah” Hebrew H2078 · used in 9 verses

  • Judges 8:5 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.
  • Judges 8:10 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.
  • Judges 8:18 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.

“Zalmunna” Hebrew H6759 · used in 9 verses

  • Judges 8:5 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.
  • Judges 8:10 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.
  • Judges 8:18 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.

“thorns” Hebrew H6975 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
  • 2 Samuel 23:6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
  • Jeremiah 4:3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.