Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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 a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

10. Karkor ] Site unknown, probably near the edge of the Syrian desert.

all that were left drew sword ] These words have the appearance of an attempt to bring the present narrative into harmony with the account of the panic and flight in Jdg 7:22-25. The exaggerated numbers recall those of Numbers 31 (overthrow of Midian); that drew sword is an expression which often goes with large figures, e.g. Jdg 20:2; Jdg 20:15; Jdg 20:17; Jdg 20:46; 2Sa 24:9 etc.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Zebah and Zalmunna seem to have fled nearly due east to Karkor, which was probably an enclosure of some kind (perhaps a walled sheepfold, compare Num 31:32 note). Its site is unknown; but it was near Nobah, in the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead Num 32:40, and Jogbehah was in the tribe of Gad Num 32:34-35. Gideon, perhaps taking a circuit so as to come upon them from the east, fell suddenly upon them, apparently at night, surprised them, and smote them.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 10. Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor] If this were a place, it is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture. Some contend that karkor signifies rest; and thus the Vulgate understood it: Zebah and Zalmunna requiescebant, rested, with all their army. And this seems the most likely, for it is said, Jdg 8:11, that Gideon smote the host, for the host was secure.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

i.e. Persons expert and exercised in war, besides the retainers to them, Jdg 6:5.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were inKarkora town on the eastern confines of Gad. The wreck of theMidianite army halted there.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor….. Jerom u under this word says, there was in his time a castle called Carcuria, a day’s journey from Petra, which was the metropolis of Idumea; but whether the same with this is not clear:

and their host with them, about fifteen thousand men; to which number Gideon and his three hundred men were very unequal; and yet, faint and weary as they were, closely pursued them, attacked and conquered them. Josephus w very wrongly makes this number to be about 18,000:

all that were left of the hosts of the children of the east; the Arabians, who with the Amalekites joined the Midianites in this expedition; and perhaps the remainder of the army chiefly consisted of Arabians, the others having mostly suffered in the valley of Jezreel, and at the fords of Jordan:

for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword; besides infirm men, women, and children, which may reasonably be supposed; so that this host consisted of 135,000 fighting men.

u De loc. Heb. fol. 90. B. w Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect. 5.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Zebah and Zalmunna Taken, vs. 10-21

The vast slaughter which the Lord had effected in delivering Israel from the Midianites, through Gideon’s leadership, is now stated. The kings, Zebah and Zalmunna had got across the Jordan with fifteen thousand men, but they had left 120,000 dead in the fields, chiefly by their own swords. They had reached Karkor, a wilderness area, believed to have been far to the southeast.

The statement that Gideon approached “by the way of them that dwelt in tents” indicates that he traversed the desert abode of the nomads in reaching Karkor. The route is said to have passed east of Nobah and Jogbehah, eastern towns of Gad, east of which would have placed Gideon and his men in the territory of the Ammonites. Zebah and Zalmunna thought themselves secure here, but Gideon and his men fell on them and smote them there.

The Midianite kings fled, but Gideon pursued and took them alive. Now he returned with his prisoners to confront the men of Succoth and Penuel. Verse 13 says that Gideon returned from battle before the sun was up, but this obviously does not mean the same day after the rout in the valley of Jezreel. The distance form Jezreel to Karkor was no less than sixty miles in a straight line and possibly more than twice that far. What seems to be implied is that he arrived back from the battle at the Gadite towns shortly before sunrise of a later day.

They found a young man of Succoth and made him reveal the identity of the princes of Succoth. Gideon took the princes and elders, presented the captive kings to them, and reminded them of their refusal to help his weary men. He then kept his promise to beat them with thorns and briars and to teach them a hard lesson about coming to the aid of the Lord’s army. Gideon went on then to Penuel, where he had also been rebuffed, and tore down the defensive tower of the city. The men of Penuel were slain, possibly in a futile attempt to defend their tower.

In verses 18-19 is revealed one of the cruel acts which the Midianites had wrought on the land of Israel when they held it in subjection. It seems Gideon had heard of it, but had not had opportunity to investigate it earlier. Upon his questioning of the kings he learned that they had killed his brothers. This may have occurred after Gideon answered the Lord’s call and began to gather his army. For this act he sentenced Zebah and Zalmunna to death.

To further humiliate them he was going to have them executed by a young boy, Jether, Gideon’s oldest son. But he was too young and afraid. The kings chided Gideon as not being man enough for the job, whereupon he arose and slew them and took their jewelry.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(10) In Karkor.This was the scene of the third battle, or massacre. When they had reached this distant point they probably felt secure. Karkor means, a safe enclosure, and the Vulg., regarding it as an ordinary noun, renders it, where Zebah and Zalmunna were resting. Eusebius and Jerome identify Karkor with a fortress named Karkaria, a days journey north of Petra; but, from the mention of Nobah and Jogbehah in the next verse, this seems to be too far south. If so, it may be Karkagheisch, not far from Amman (Rabbath Ammon), mentioned by Burckhardt. It was, however, at a very great distance (Jos., Antt. viii. 6, 5 from the original scene of battle.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

10. Karkor A city or district some distance east of the Jordan, but now unknown.

Fifteen thousand The remnant of the one hundred and thirty-five thousand that had spread themselves like locusts in the plains of Israel.

A hundred and twenty thousand had either killed themselves in the suicidal night encounter, (Jdg 8:22,) or had fallen before the victorious Israelites. No wonder this defeat of Midian was remembered long in Israel. Compare Psa 83:11; Isaiah 9:4, 10, 26.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen eleph men, all that were left of the host of the children of the east, for there fell a hundred and twenty eleph men that drew sword.’

Here the term ‘children of the east’ includes the whole armies of Midian, Amalek and the children of the east. It is a term that can be applied generally to a type of semi-nomad (see Gen 29:1; Job 1:3). Only fifteen units remained of the one hundred and thirty five units of armed men with which they had set out. Karkor is possibly Qarqar in the Wadi Sirhan.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The End of Zebah and Zalmunna

v. 10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, near the headwaters of the Jabbok, 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, namely, in the battle in the Plain of Jezreel and in the pursuit.

v. 11. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, the easternmost cities of Gad, and smote the host, attacking, apparently, from the northeast, from which direction the enemy did not expect an assault; for the host was secure.

v. 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; terror seized upon them, so that they offered no resistance, and the army surrendered.

v. 13. And Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from battle before the sun was up, or, from the ascent or pass of Hecheres, in the hills east of Succoth,

v. 14. and caught a young man of the men, the inhabitants, of Succoth, and enquired of him, in order to find out certain facts about the city; and he described unto him the princes of Succoth and the elders thereof, wrote down their names for Gideon, even threescore and seventeen men.

v. 15. And he, Gideon, came unto the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, whom he led along with him captive, with whom ye did upbraid me, concerning whom they had spoken to him in a jeering manner, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

v. 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, by giving them a well-deserved flogging he taught all the inhabitants of the city a lesson, especially concerning the penalties of treasonable selfishness.

v. 17. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city, in a just punishment of their faithlessness and treason.

v. 18. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, after his return to his own tribe, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? He wanted a description of their face and form, their general appearance. And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. This was in reference to a raid which had been made by the Midianites before Gideon had been called to enter upon this campaign of vengeance.

v. 19. And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother, the very nearest blood-relatives. As the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you, he would have been inclined to spare their lives, but this one cruel action made it impossible for him to do so.

v. 20. And he said unto Jether, his first-born, apparently still a lad, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth, not yet accustomed to slaying men.

v. 21. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength; their execution was a task, not for a weak lad, but for a full-grown man. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments, little moon-shaped pendants, that were on their camels’ necks. In this way was the just punishment of God upon the oppressors put into execution.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Jdg 8:10. Children of the East Children of Kedem; i.e. Ishmaelites. Hiller. Onomastic. p. 534.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jdg 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.

Ver. 10. Were in Karkor. ] A city beyond Jordan, where they thought themselves safe, and feared not a pursuer: but vengeance would not suffer them to live. Act 28:4

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

hosts = camps.

children. Hebrew sons.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Karkor: If this were the name of a place, it is no where else mentioned. Some contend that karkor signifies rest; and the Vulgate renders it requiescebant, “rested”. This seems the most likely; for it is said – Jdg 8:11 that Gideon “smote the host: for the host was secure.”

children: Jdg 7:12

fell an hundred: etc. or, an hundred and twenty thousand every one drawing a sword, Jdg 7:22, Jdg 20:2, Jdg 20:15, Jdg 20:17, Jdg 20:25, Jdg 20:35, Jdg 20:46, 2Ki 3:26, 2Ch 13:17, 2Ch 28:6, 2Ch 28:8, Isa 37:36

Reciprocal: Gen 29:1 – came Jdg 6:3 – children Jdg 6:5 – as grasshoppers Jdg 6:33 – children Job 1:3 – men Isa 9:4 – as in the day Eze 25:4 – men

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jdg 8:10. There fell a hundred and twenty thousand men Such a terrible execution did they make among themselves, and so easy a prey were they to Israel. That drew the sword That is, persons expert and exercised in war, besides the retainers to them.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna [were] {g} 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.

(g) A city east of Jordan.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes