SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:24
Y les dijo Gedeón: Deseo haceros una petición, que cada uno me dé los zarcillos de su despojo. (Porque traían zarcillos de oro, que eran ismaelitas.)
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Judges 8:24
Verse 24. Give me every man the ear-rings of his prey.] The spoils taken from their enemies in this warfare. This is a transaction very like to that of the Israelites and Aaron; when they brought him their golden ear-rings, out of which he made the molten calf, Exod. xxxii. 2, &c. Whether Gideon designed this ephod for an instrument of worship, or merely as a trophy, is not very clear. It is most likely that he had intended to establish a place of worship at Ophrah; and he took this occasion to provide the proper sacerdotal vestments.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you , etc.] Which he thought they would scarcely deny, and it was now a fair opportunity to make it, since they had offered him a crown, or to be king over them: and the favour he asked was, that you would give me every man the earrings of his prey ; or, “an earring of his prey”; for it is in the singular number; every man one earring, as Abarbinel interprets it; for though they might have more, yet only one ear ring of every man is desired: for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites ; so the Midianites and Ishmaelites are spoken of as the same, they being mixed and dwelling together, or very near each other, ( Genesis 37:25,28,36) and Kimchi accounts for it thus, why the Midianites are called Ishmaelites; because they were the sons of Keturah, and Keturah was Hagar the mother of Ishmael. The Targum calls them Arabians, and who it seems used to wear earrings, as men in the eastern countries did; (see Genesis 35:4 Exodus 32:2,3). So Pliny says in the east it was reckoned ornamental for men to wear gold in their ears.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-28 - Gideon refused the government the people offered him. No good man can be pleased with any honour done to himself, which belongs only to God Gideon thought to keep up the remembrance of this victory by an ephod made of the choicest of the spoils. But probably this ephod had, a usual, a teraphim annexed to it, and Gideon intended this for an oracl to be consulted. Many are led into false ways by one false step of good man. It became a snare to Gideon himself, and it proved the rui of the family. How soon will ornaments which feed the lust of the eye and form the pride of life, as well as tend to the indulgences of the flesh, bring shame on those who are fond of them!
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 אלהם 413 גדעון 1439 אשׁאלה 7592 מכם 4480 שׁאלה 7596 ותנו 5414 לי אישׁ 376 נזם 5141 שׁללו 7998 כי 3588 נזמי 5141 זהב 2091 להם כי 3588 ישׁמעאלים 3459 הם׃ 1992
