Judges 8 · Verse 22

Judges 8:22

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
Judges 8:22, King James Version

Judges 8:22 in other translations

BSBThen the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
WEBThen the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
ASVThen the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian.
YLTAnd the men of Israel say unto Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.'
DARBYAnd the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.
BBEThen the men of Israel said to Gideon, Be our ruler, you and your son and your son's son after him; for you have been our saviour from the hands of Midian.
WebsterThen the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

What does Judges 8:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 8:22-23
22-23. the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us ... Gideon said unto them, the Lord shall rule over you--Their unbounded admiration and gratitude prompted them, in the enthusiasm of the moment, to raise their deliverer to a throne, and to establish a royal dynasty in his house. But Gideon knew too well, and revered too piously the principles of the theocracy, to entertain the proposal for a moment. Personal and family ambition was cheerfully sacrificed to a sense of duty, and every worldly motive was kept in check by a supreme regard to the divine honor. He would willingly act as judge, but the Lord alone was King of Israel.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son - That is, Become our king, and let the crown be hereditary in thy family. What a weak, foolish, and inconstant people were these! As yet their government was a theocracy; and now, dazzled with the success of a man who was only an instrument in the hands of God to deliver them from their enemies, they wish to throw off the Divine yoke, and shackle themselves with an unlimited hereditary monarchy! An unlimited monarchy is a curse; a limited monarchy may be a blessing: the latter may be an appointment of God; the former never can. Those who cast off their allegiance to their Maker, are guilty of folly and extravagance of every kind.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 8:22-28
Gideon refused the government the people offered him. No good man can be pleased with any honour done to himself, which belongs only to God. Gideon thought to keep up the remembrance of this victory by an ephod, made of the choicest of the spoils. But probably this ephod had, as usual, a teraphim annexed to it, and Gideon intended this for an oracle to be consulted. Many are led into false ways by one false step of a good man. It became a snare to Gideon himself, and it proved the ruin of the family. How soon will ornaments which feed the lust of the eye, and form the pride of life, as well as tend to the indulgences of the flesh, bring shame on those who are fond of them!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Judges 8:22 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֤וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אִֽישׁ\־'ish-[the] man ofH376
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אֶל\־'el-toH413
גִּדְע֔וֹןgid.'onGideonH1439
מְשָׁל\־me.shol-ruleH4910
בָּ֙נוּ֙ba.nuover <the> us
גַּם\־gam-bothH1571
אַתָּ֔ה'a.TahyouH859
גַּם\־gam-as well asH1571
בִּנְךָ֖bin.Khason yourH1121
גַּ֣םgamas well asH1571
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
בְּנֶ֑ךָbe.Ne.khason yourH1121
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
הוֹשַׁעְתָּ֖נוּho.sha'.Ta.nuyou have delivered usH3467
מִיַּ֥דmi.Yadfrom [the] hand ofH3027
מִדְיָֽן\׃mid.YanMidianH4080

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

Cross references for Judges 8:22

  • John 6:15

    When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

  • 1 Samuel 8:5

    And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

  • 1 Samuel 12:12

    And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.

  • Judges 9:8-15

    The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rule thou.
9:8-15; 1Sa 8:5; 12:12; Joh 6:15

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

Context

  • Judges 8:21

    Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

  • Judges 8:22

    Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

  • Judges 8:23

    And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.

Read all of Judges 8

Judges 8:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y los Israelitas dijeron á Gedeón: Sé nuestro señor, tú, y tu hijo, y tu nieto; pues que nos has librado de mano de Madián.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les hommes d’Israël dirent à Gédéon: Domine sur nous, et toi et ton fils, et le fils de ton fils; car tu nous as sauvés de la main de Madian.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Männer von Israel sprachen zu Gideon: Herrsche über uns, sowohl du, als auch dein Sohn und deines Sohnes Sohn; denn du hast uns aus der Hand Midians gerettet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixeruntque omnes viri Israël ad Gedeon: Dominare nostri tu, et filius tuus, et filius filii tui: quia liberasti nos de manu Madian.