Bible Strands
Judges 8:18
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Gideon interrogates the captured Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna immediately after destroying Penuel, pressing them to identify the specific warriors they slaughtered on Mount Tabor.
The words — The Hebrew interrogative אֵיפֹה ('ei.Foh) literally means "where?" but functions contextually as "what kind of," while אֲנָשִׁים ('a.na.Shim) simply denotes "men" or "warriors" without specifying rank.
The thread — The mention of Tabor echoes its geographical and theological significance in Psalms 89:12, while the identity of the slain men directly bridges to Gideon’s revelation in Judges 8:19 that they were his own brothers.
Why it lands — The verse demands a reader to recognize how tactical interrogation precedes personal accountability, showing that military victory is immediately followed by the necessity of confronting familial and moral consequences.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
Cross-references
- Judges 4:6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun.
- Psalms 12:2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
- Psalms 89:12 North and south You created; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
- Jude 1:16 These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.