Judges 8:14

14 adprehendit puerum de viris Soccoth interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Soccoth et descripsit septuaginta septem viros

Judges 8:14 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:14

And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of
him
Just before he came to the city, he spied a young man which belonged to it, and laid hold on him, and inquired of him about the chief magistrates of the city, who they were, what their names, and their places of abode:

and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders
thereof, even seventy seven men;
by which it appears that this was no inconsiderable city to have so many princes and elders in it; these the young man described to Gideon, what sort of men they were, what their names, and where they dwelt: or "he wrote unto him" F25; wrote down their names, and what part of the city they dwelt in; or Gideon took down in writing for himself their names and places of abode from the young man, that he might not forget: and in this Gideon showed great wisdom, and strict justice; being desirous to punish only the delinquents, and not the innocent with the wicked, the people with their rulers; for though he asked bread of the men of Succoth, the answer was returned in the ill natured manner it was by the princes.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (wyla btkyw) "et scripsit ad eum", Montanus, Piscator; "et scripsit sibi", Pagninus, Munster; so some in Drusius.

Judges 8:14 In-Context

12 fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana quos persequens Gedeon conprehendit turbato omni exercitu eorum
13 revertensque de bello ante solis ortum
14 adprehendit puerum de viris Soccoth interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Soccoth et descripsit septuaginta septem viros
15 venitque ad Soccoth et dixit eis en Zebee et Salmana super quibus exprobrastis mihi dicentes forsitan manus Zebee et Salmana in manibus tuis sunt et idcirco postulas ut demus viris qui lassi sunt et defecerunt panes
16 tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos et contrivit cum eis atque comminuit viros Soccoth
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.