Judges 8:35

Jdg 8:35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

Ver. 35. Neither showed they kindness.] No wonder that apostates from God prove unkind and unthankful to men.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 8:35. Neither showed they kindness to the house of Gideon — No wonder they were so ungrateful to the family of this illustrious man, when they were so forgetful of the God of all their mercies; according to the goodness he had showed unto Israel — In hazarding his life for their service, and accomplishing a glorious deliverance in their favour; and in leaving them in the full enjoyment of their liberty, by refusing the despotic power with which they offered to invest him, and in governing them for the space of so many years with so much prudence, that he left them in a happy state of tranquillity, having the worship of the true God established among them when he died.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They were unmindful of God and unkind toward him, by whom they had received so great a benefit.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 35. Neither showed they kindness to the house of - Gideon] They were both unthankful and unholy. Though they had the clearest proofs of God's power and goodness before their eyes, yet they forgot him. And although they were under the greatest obligations to Gideon, and were once so sensible of them that they offered to settle the kingdom on him and his family, yet they forgot him also; for, becoming foes to GOD, they could not be friends to MAN.

Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon. - This is improper; it should be Jerubbaal Gideon, as we say Simon Peter, or call any man by his Christian name and surname.

THE ancients, particularly St. Ambrose and Augustine, have endeavoured to find out a parallel between our blessed Lord and Gideon. We have already seen what Origen has made of the whole account, who is followed in the main by the above Latin fathers. As I believe no such parallel was intended by the Spirit of God, I must be excused from going into their details. It is no credit either to Christ or Christianity to be compared to such persons and their transactions.

1. Of Gideon the most we can say is that which the angel said, he was a mighty man of valour.

2. He was also a true patriot, he loved his country, and hazarded his life for it; and yet he would not stir till he had the most incontestable proofs that God would, by his supernatural assistance, make him victorious.

3. He was most evidently disinterested, and void of ambition; he refused the kingdom when it was offered to him and to his heirs after him. But, consistently with the belief he had in God, he could not accept it, as this would have been a complete alteration of the Jewish constitution, which acknowledged no ruler but God himself.

4. His motive in making the ephod is not well understood; probably it was done with no reprehensible design. But the act was totally wrong; he had no Divine authority to make such an innovation in the religious worship of his country. The ark was at Shechem; and there was the proper and only accredited priest. The act therefore can never be excused, whatever may be said of his motive.

5. His private character does not appear to have been very exemplary; he had many wives, and seventy sons by them, besides one by a concubine, which he kept at Shechem, where he was often obliged to go as judge, for the purpose of administering justice. In short, there is scarcely a trait in his character worthy to be compared with any thing in the conduct of the Redeemer of mankind.

6. Parallels to Christ, and the work of his Spirit in the salvation of men, have been diligently sought in the sacred writings, by both commentators and preachers; and we have had voluminous treaties on types and antitypes; and how little has sound doctrine or true piety derived from them! They have often served to unsettle the former, and have been rather inimical than favourable to the interests of the latter. When the Spirit of God says such things are types and such things are allegories, it is our duty to believe and examine; when men produce their types and metaphors, it may be our duty to doubt, be suspicious, and pass on.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(35) Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon.—It is doubtful whether we should not join the two names (Jerubbaal-Gideon), as in the Vulgate. Both names may be here allusive. He had been the “hewer” of their enemies and a “pleader against Baal,” yet they were ungrateful to him, and apostatised to Baal-worship.

According to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.—See Jdg_9:17-18.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mercy is here put for many virtues: gratitude, justice, kindness, &c. (Menochius) --- The Israelites did not take care to provide for (Calmet) the family of one who had rendered them such essential services. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

35. Neither showed they kindness — They proved ungrateful as well as idolatrous. Instead of making one of Gideon’s legitimate sons ruler, (Jdg_8:22,) they saw all these cruelly slaughtered, and chose their murderer, an illegitimate son, to reign over them for three years. Jdg_9:22.

Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon — The names should be written Jerubbaal-Gideon. The double name is here apparently used as a reflection on Israel’s baseness in neglecting the memory of the distinguished Baal-fighter, to whom they owed so much. Note, Jdg_6:32.

Thus closes the history of Gideon, another of the mixed and mysterious characters of the age of the Judges. He is the first of the deliverers of Israel whose history is given as a detailed narrative. He possessed gentleness and grace of heart and manner, with a lofty heroism and nobleness of character. This was enhanced by his commanding and kingly form.

As the deliverer of Israel, following out the instructions of Jehovah, we see in him every thing to praise: as the retired warrior, peacefully living at his native city, and apparently refusing to exercise the ordinary office of judge, there is something about him that is at least strangely unambitious; and in his setting up the costly ephod in Ophrah, and allowing all Israel to go whoring after it, we discover that which resembles a Jeroboam-like attempt to establish a new and unauthorized form and place of worship in Israel, and in this he bears the censure of the sacred historian himself. Gideon was manifestly a great character, but not well balanced. “There is a sweetness and nobleness blended with his courage, such as lifts us into a higher region — something of the past greatness of Joshua, something of the future grace of David. But he was, as we should say, before his age. The attempt to establish a more settled form of government ended in disaster and crime. He himself remains as a character apart, faintly understood by others, imperfectly fulfilling his own ideas, staggering under a burden to which he was not equal.” — Stanley.

The attempt of some expositors, ancient and modern, to make Gideon a type of Christ, is justly condemned by Dr. Clarke. It is farfetched and useless, and does more to confuse the sacred history than to explain it. The history of the Judges is manifestly designed, not to give us types of the Messiah, but rather to show up the lower and higher aspects of human character in the development of history. We see in this book the natural workings of humanity when confronted on the one side by the world, the flesh, and the devil, and on the other by the law and revelations of God.

The conflict too often results in the victory of the flesh over the Spirit.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither showed they kindness, etc. Forgetfulness of God is often the parent of ingratitude to men. The heart of stone which is not touched by the love of Christ is also insensible to the kindness of man.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They did not act benevolently. They murdered his children, as stated in the narrative.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.