Bible Strands
Judges 8:22
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Israelites address Gideon immediately after his campaign against Midian, requesting permanent, hereditary leadership for himself and his descendants.
The words — מְשׁוֹל (mēšōl) translates to "rule," and גַּם (gam) functions as "also" or "as well" to list successive generations rather than to pair two distinct items.
The thread — This proposal for human kingship reappears in 1 Samuel 8:5 and anticipates Jesus’ withdrawal from being made king by force in John 6:15.
Why it lands — The verse records a direct political offer before Gideon’s immediate rejection in Judges 8:23 that Yahweh alone will rule. It requires the reader to observe how military deliverance can quickly trigger demands for institutionalized human authority.
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 the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
Cross-references
- John 6:15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
- Judges 9:8 One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
- 1 Samuel 8:5 “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”
- 1 Samuel 12:12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.