SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:16
Y tomó a los ancianos de la ciudad, y espinas y abrojos del desierto, y castigó con ellos a los de Sucot.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Judges 8:16
Verse 16. He taught the men of Succoth.] Instead of [dyw he taught, Houbigant reads Ťdyw he tore; and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon had threatened, ver. 7, but is supported by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew text might have been easily corrupted in this place by the change of Ť shin into [ ain, letters very similar to each other.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. And he took the elders of the city , etc.] All of them, especially those of them who had been most guilty, and had them to a proper place, where they might be made public examples of: and thorns of the wilderness, and briers ; which were near at hand, and soon cut up, for which he gave orders to proper persons: and with them he taught the men of Succoth ; either the inhabitants of the place, as distinct from the elders, whose punishment he taught them to be cautious not to follow such examples, or to behave ill to their superiors; or the princes and elders of the city are meant by the men of it, whom Gideon taught or chastised with thorns and briers; and so it is usual with us for a parent or master to say to his child or servant that has offended, I will “teach” you to do so or so, or to do otherwise, when he threatens to chastise: or “with them he made them to know” f174 ; that is, their sin and the heinousness of it, by the punishment he inflicted on them. Abarbinel thinks the word “know” has the signification of mercy in it, as in ( Exodus 2:25) in that he did not punish in general the men of that city, only the elders of it. The Targum is, “he broke upon them, or by them, the men of Succoth;” so Jarchi and others; that is, he broke the briers and thorns upon them, scourging them with them; or rather broke and tore their flesh by them: whether they died or no is not certain.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-17 - The active servants of the Lord meet with more dangerous oppositio from false professors than from open enemies; but they must not car for the behaviour of those who are Israelites in name, but Midianite in heart. They must pursue the enemies of their souls, and of the caus of God, though they are ready to faint through inward conflicts an outward hardships. And they shall be enabled to persevere. The less me help, and the more they seek to hinder, the more will the Lord assist Gideon's warning being slighted, the punishment was just. Many ar taught with the briers and thorns of affliction, who would not lear otherwise.
Original Hebrew
ויקח 3947 את 853 זקני 2205 העיר 5892 ואת 853 קוצי 6975 המדבר 4057 ואת 853 הברקנים 1303 וידע 3045 בהם את 853 אנשׁי 376 סכות׃ 5523
