Bible Strands
Judges 8:27
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Gideon acts after gathering spoils from Midianite kings, placing a crafted object in his hometown of Ophrah before the land enters a period of rest. The words — וַ/יַּעַשׂ (va/i.ya.'As) means "and he made," and וַ/יַּצֵּג (va/i.ya.Tzeg) means "and he placed," describing the physical creation and positioning of the ephod. The thread — Israel prostituting themselves through idolatry parallels Psalm 106:39, while the unauthorized ephod parallels the shrine established by Micah in Judges 17:5. Why it lands — The text states the ephod became a snare to Gideon’s household as Israel worshiped it, showing how religious objects can shift devotion from God to human craftsmanship.
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
And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
Cross-references
- Psalms 106:39 They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.
- Deuteronomy 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
- Judges 17:5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
- Judges 18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
- Judges 18:17 And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
- Exodus 23:33 They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
- Judges 6:24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- Exodus 28:6 They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
- Deuteronomy 12:5 Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
- Judges 6:11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.