Bible Strands
Judges 8:6
But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Gideon addresses the leaders of Succoth while pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, immediately after requesting provisions for his exhausted troops.
The words — The Hebrew phrase הֲ/כַף עַתָּה בְּ/יָדֶ/ךָ (Ha./khaf 'a.Tah be./ya.De./kha) literally renders “is [the] hand now in your hand,” questioning whether the enemy commanders are already captured.
The thread — This conditional refusal and deferred justice parallels the caution in 1 Kings 20:11 against premature boasting, while the leaders’ self-preservation reflects the selfish interest condemned in Philippians 2:21.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to confront the danger of withholding support for God’s work until personal risk is eliminated, demanding immediate obedience over calculated hesitation.
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 the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 20:11 And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
- Philippians 2:21 For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
- Genesis 25:13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
- Genesis 37:25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
- Genesis 37:28 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
- Judges 5:23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
- Judges 8:15 And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”
- 1 Samuel 25:10 But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
- 2 Kings 14:9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
- Proverbs 18:23 The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.