Judges 8 · Verse 16

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.
Judges 8:16, King James Version

Judges 8:16 in other translations

BSBThen he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
WEBHe took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
ASVAnd he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
YLTAnd he taketh the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teacheth by them the men of Succoth,
DARBYAnd he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
BBEThen he took the responsible men of the town and had them crushed on a bed of thorns and sharp stems.
WebsterAnd he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

What does Judges 8:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. he took ... the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth--By refusing his soldiers refreshment, they had committed a public crime, as well as an act of inhumanity, and were subjected to a horrible punishment, which the great abundance and remarkable size of the thorn bushes, together with the thinness of clothing in the East, has probably suggested.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 He taught the men of Succoth - Instead of וידע he taught, Houbigant reads וידש he tore; and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon had threatened, Jdg 8:7, but is supported by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew text might have been easily corrupted in this place by the change of ש shin into ע ain, letters very similar to each other.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 8:13-17

The active servants of the Lord meet with more dangerous opposition from false professors than from open enemies; but they must not care for the behaviour of those who are Israelites in name, but Midianites in heart. They must pursue the enemies of their souls, and of the cause of God, though they are ready to faint through inward conflicts and outward hardships. And they shall be enabled to persevere. The less men…

Read the full comment on Judges 8:13-17 →

Judges 8:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקַּח֙vai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
זִקְנֵ֣יzik.Nei[the] elders ofH2205
הָעִ֔ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
קוֹצֵ֥יko.Tzei[the] thorns ofH6975
הַמִּדְבָּ֖רha.mid.Barthe wildernessH4057
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַֽבַּרְקֳנִ֑יםha.bar.ko.Nimthe briersH1303
וַיֹּ֣דַעvai.Yo.da'and he taughtH3045
בָּהֶ֔םba.Hemwith <the> them
אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>H853
אַנְשֵׁ֥י'an.Shei[the] men ofH582
סֻכּֽוֹת\׃su.KotSuccothH5523

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 8:16

  • Proverbs 10:13

    In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

  • Proverbs 19:29

    Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

  • 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.

  • Micah 7:4

    The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

  • Ezra 2:6

    The children of Pahath–moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the elders.
7; Pr 10:13; 19:29; Ezr 2:6
thorns.
Mic 7:4
taught. Heb. made to know.Instead of {wyyodâ,} Houbigant, Le Clerc, and others read {wyyadosh,} "and he tore or threshed;" and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon threatened (ver. 7), but is supported by the LXX. Vulgate, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew text might easily have been corrupted simply by the change of [Shîyn,] {shin,} into ['Ayin,] {ayin,} letters very similar to each other.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 8:15

    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?

  • 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.

  • Judges 8:17

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

Read all of Judges 8

Judges 8:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y tomó á los ancianos de la ciudad, y espinas y abrojos del desierto, y castigó con ellos á los de Succoth.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il prit les anciens de la ville, et des épines du désert et des chardons, et enseigna par eux les hommes de Succoth.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er nahm die Ältesten der Stadt und Dornen der Wüste und Stechdisteln, und er züchtigte die Männer von Sukkoth mit denselben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos, et contrivit cum eis atque comminuit viros Soccoth.