Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 8:11

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

11. Describes Gideon’s route going E. from Penuel. by the way of them that dwelt in tents is a doubtful rendering of a doubtful text. With slight corrections we may transl. towards the way of the tent-dwellers, i.e. the Bedouin route, such, for instance, as the present Haj road from Damascus to Mecca. The Targ. paraphrases, ‘by the way to the camp of the Arabs who encamp in tents in the desert east of Nobah.’ Strictly by the way of ought to be by the way to a place; hence Moore supposes that the tent-dwellers is a corruption of some place-name.

Nobah ] has been identified, on the strength of Num 32:42 (Nobah = Kenath), with anawt on the west of the aurn mountains; but this is much too far north. Jogbehah (belonging to Gad, Num 32:35) has survived in the modern ‘Ajbht, a ruined site 6 m. N.N.W. of ‘Ammn.

secure ] Not expecting an attack; cf. Jdg 18:7; Gen 34:25; Mic 2:8.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Of them that dwelt in tents, i.e. of the Arabians; so fetching a compass, and falling upon them where they least expected it.

Nobah and Jogbehah; of which cities see Num 32:35,42.

The host was secure; being now got safe over Jordan, and a great way from the place of battle; and, probably, supposing Gideons men, to be so tired with their hard service, and the great slaughter which they had made, that they would have neither strength nor will to pursue them so far.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

11. Gideon went up by the way ofthem that dwelt in tents on the eastHe tracked the fugitivesacross the mountain range of Gilead to the northeast of the Jabbok,and there came upon them unexpectedly while they were resting secureamong their own nomadic tribes. Jogbehah is supposed to beRamoth-gilead; and, therefore, the Midianites must have found refugeat or near Abela, “Abel-cheramim,” “the plain of thevineyards.”

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

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents,…. That is of the Arabians and Kedarenes, who dwelt in tents for the sake of feeding their flocks, as the Targum and Jarchi; he did not pursue them in the direct road, but went a roundabout way, where these people dwelt, that he might surprise the host of the kings of Midian at an unawares: and he came upon them,

on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; the first was in the tribe of Manasseh, and the latter in the tribe of Gad, and both it seems were on the confines of those tribes; see Nu 32:35 the Targum calls the latter Ramatha; both words have the signification of height in them, this city very probably being built on an eminence. According to Bunting x Penuel was two miles from Succoth, Nobah two miles from Penuel, and Jogbehah four miles from Nobah and Karkor four miles from Jogbehah, whither he pursued the kings, and took them, after he had discomfited the army:

and smote the host, for the host was secure: having got over Jordan, and at night very probably, they thought themselves safe from Gideon’s army, who they could have no thought that they would come up with them so soon, on foot, weary, and fatigued.

x Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 109.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(11) By the way of them that dwelt in tents.He seems to have taken a wide circuit, through some nomad district, leaving the main road, which runs through Nobah and Jogbehah, so as once more to make up for his inferior numbers (for there were still 15,000 left of these children of the East) by surprise and stratagem.

Nobah.In Gilead, belonging to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Num. 32:42). It was originally called Kenath, but the name was altered in honour of a Manassite hero, who is otherwise unrecorded. Jewish tradition says that he was born in Egypt, and died during the passage of the Jordan (Seder Olam Rabba). The original name displaced its rival, for the site is now called Kenwat.

Jogbehah.In Gad (Num. 32:34). It is not mentioned elsewhere, and has not been identified.

The host was secure.They would have thought it most unlikely that the Israelites, with their mere handful of men, would pursue so large an army for so long a distance. They fancied themselves beyond the reach of pursuit because they miscalculated the energy and powers of Gideon, who, not improbably, once more attacked them by night.

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

11. Way of them that dwelt in tents A section of that eastern desert thickly dotted with the tents of resident shepherds.

Nobah The more ancient name was Kenath, but, having been captured by the Mannasite Nobah, it was afterwards called by his name. See at Num 32:42. It has been identified with the modern Kunnawat, far to the east of the Sea of Galilee.

Jogbehah No trace of this place has been found.

The host was secure Supposed themselves beyond pursuit, and out of the way of danger.

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

‘And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host for they were off their guard.’

With his men hungry and fainting Gideon visited the semi-nomads who were keeping their flocks to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, where it seems they found the hospitality which had been lacking from the cities of their own tribal federation. These people may well have hated the confederacy of the people of the east because they had suffered from their depredations. They would always be prey to them and would have nothing to lose by helping Gideon. Indeed they may well have provided Gideon with desert fighters, or at least guides. Jogbehah (modern Jubeihat) was a ‘fenced city with folds for the sheep’ in territory allotted to Gad (Num 32:35-36). Nobah was previously called Kenath (Num 32:42).

“And smote the host for they were off their guard.” It should be noted that at this stage there is no specific mention of the three hundred, although they would still be his main fighting force. He may well have been reinforced by the semi-nomad desert fighters, and even possibly by Ephraimites when they sought him out to complain (Jdg 7:25 to Jdg 8:2), to say nothing of others involved in the pursuit. Thus Gideon may have had a reasonably large force with which to make his attack which was totally successful because he caught them off their guard, possibly with the guidance of the desert fighters. The sudden warcry of ‘the sword of Yahweh and of Gideon’ coming when they thought they were well out of range of his forces may well have struck further terror to their hearts. Here was that dreaded Gideon again, come no doubt by some supernatural means. They were no doubt still convinced that they had earlier been defeated by a huge force.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jdg 8:11. By the way of them that dwelt in tents That is, by the country of the Arabians, called Scenitae, from their dwelling in tents.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jdg 8:11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

Ver. 11. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents. ] The Arabian Nomades or Scenites, who dwelt not in houses or cities, but in movable tents, feeding their cattle, Jer 49:29 taking up wheresoever night took them. So the Hamaxobii among the Scythians. They had their scouts abroad, doubtless; but he fetched a compass about and came upon the east side, where they never feared any enemy.

For the host was secure. ] Security ushereth in destruction; as it did at Tyre, at Babylon, those Amalakites in 1Sa 30:16-17 , the Pompeians at the Pharsalian field, a the French at the battle of Agincourt, b &c.

a Caes. Comment.

b Speed’s Chron.

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