Judges 8:6 · Bible study
Judges 8:6 Commentary: Faith and Fear in Succoth’s Refusal
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Succoth refused Gideon bread: fear of Midian’s kings, lack of trust in God’s deliverance, and a lesson in faith versus calculation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The leaders of Succoth refused bread to Gideon out of fear that the Midianite kings would retaliate if Gideon’s mission failed.
- Key words: Hand (יָד/כַּף), power and possession; Bread (לֶחֶם), sustenance and support; Give (נָתַן), to grant or deliver.
- Main debate: Whether the refusal was cautious pragmatism or a faithless rejection of God’s deliverance; most commentators see it as the latter.
- Theological theme: Fear of human power versus trust in God’s promise; the cost of neutrality in the Lord’s battle.
- Best use: A case study in how perceived risk can mask unbelief, and how God’s victory vindicates those who act in faith.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
The princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”
KJV King James Version 1769
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?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the heads of Succoth say, `Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we give to thy host bread?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the chief men of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to thy army.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los principales de Succoth respondieron: ¿ Está ya la mano de Zeba y Zalmunna en tu mano, para que hayamos nosotros de dar pan á tu ejército?
E os principais de Sucote responderam: Está já a mão de Zeba e Zalmuna em tua mão, para que havemos nós de dar pão a teu exército?
Les chefs de Succoth répondirent: La main de Zébach et de Tsalmunna est-elle déjà en ton pouvoir, pour que nous donnions du pain à ton armée?
Aber die Obersten zu Sukkoth sprachen: Sind die Fäuste Sebahs und Zalmunas schon in deinen Händen, daß wir deinem Heer sollen Brot geben?
Maar de oversten van Sukkoth zeiden: Is dan de handpalm van Zebah en Tsalmuna alrede in uw hand, dat wij aan uw heir brood zouden geven?
Ma i capi di Succoth risposero: “Tieni tu forse già nelle tue mani i polsi di Zebah e di Tsalmunna, che abbiamo a dar del pane al tuo esercito?”
Ale mu rzekli przedniejsi z Sokot: Izali już moc Zeby i Salmana jest w rękach twoich, żebyśmy dać mieli wojsku twemu chleba?
Князья Сокхофа сказали: разве рука Зевея и Салмана уже в твоей руке, чтобы нам войску твоему давать хлеб?
疏割 人的首領 回答說：「 西巴 和撒慕拿 已經 在你手裡，你使 我們將餅 給 你的軍兵嗎？」
But the chiefs of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna even now in your hand that we are to give bread to your army?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 8:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across the traditions agree on the basic motive: the princes of Succoth refused bread because they feared the vengeance of the Midianite kings. Barnes notes the Midianite force was still formidable and Gideon’s enterprise doubtful, so Succoth would not risk reprisal. Gill adds that they derided Gideon’s small army, seeing his request as premature and his prospects hopeless. Clarke calls it a failure to trust God, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown describes the reply as insolent and time-serving. Keil and Delitzsch see in it both cowardice and contempt for Gideon, and an utter want of confidence in God. The consensus is that the refusal was not neutral pragmatism but a faithless choice to withhold support from God’s deliverer out of fear of men.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The princes refused to give bread because they feared the Midianite kings and doubted Gideon’s success, demonstrating a lack of trust in God’s deliverance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Motive for refusal | All major commentators agree the princes refused because they feared Midianite vengeance if Gideon did not succeed. | Some see simple cowardice; others see contempt for Gideon’s small force and a failure of national solidarity (Barnes, Gill). |
| Legitimacy of Gideon’s threat | Commentators generally view Gideon’s response as justified punishment for opposing God’s deliverer, noting the parallel with the curse of Meroz. | A few raise the question of proportionality: was threshing with thorns excessively harsh, or was it a fitting symbolic judgment? (Keil and Delitzsch defend it; others note the severity.) |
| Narrative composition | The passage is set east of the Jordan and continues the account of Gideon’s pursuit. | The Cambridge Bible suggests this section may come from an independent source, later harmonized with the earlier battle narrative; others treat it as a coherent continuation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene unfolds east of the Jordan River, near Succoth, a site traditionally associated with Jacob’s booths (Genesis 33:17). Gideon and his three hundred men have crossed the Jordan in hot pursuit of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna. The text describes them as “faint, yet pursuing” (v.4), having exhausted themselves in battle and a long chase. Behind them lies a great victory, 120,000 Midianite soldiers have fallen (v.10), but ahead, the two kings still command 15,000 men. It is a moment of high risk and low resources.
The leaders of Succoth had likely seen the Midianite host pass through their region. From a human perspective, Gideon’s small band seemed no match. They calculated the odds and chose self-protection over solidarity. Their question, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand?, mocks the idea that Gideon has already secured victory. They will only help once the kings are captured, a condition they think impossible. Their refusal echoes the curse of Meroz in Judges 5:23, where townspeople are condemned for failing to join Yahweh’s battle. In ancient Near Eastern culture, to refuse bread to a fellow Israelite on a holy mission was to break covenant solidarity and align oneself, in effect, with the enemy.
Keil and Delitzsch note that the singular verb “said” suggests one official spoke for the group. This detail reinforces that the refusal was an official, collective decision, not a spontaneous outburst.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The singular verb “said” (וַיֹּאמֶר) is explained by Gill and Keil as indicating that one official spoke on behalf of the group, not as a manuscript discrepancy.
Reception History
This verse has been used throughout church history to warn against withholding aid from God’s servants when the outcome looks doubtful. Reformation-era commentators often treated Succoth as a negative example of neutrality in holy war, contrasting them with those who sustained Gideon. The question “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand?” became a proverbial phrase for despising a work before its completion. In later homiletics, it is paired with stories like Nabal’s refusal to David (1 Samuel 25) to illustrate the sin of calculating generosity against human odds rather than acting in faith.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Exhaustion meets resistance. Gideon and his men are spent, yet they press on. Succoth’s leaders see only the risk, not the mission.
- Fear wears the mask of caution. Their question is a polite refusal born of dread. They fear Midian’s kings more than they trust God’s deliverer.
- God’s victory outflanks human calculation. Gideon’s threat (v.7) is not petty vengeance, it is a pledge that God will prove faithful. The later fulfillment (v.15-16) confirms that what looks like discretion is actually disobedience.
Five-point outline
- The context: a weary army and a pressing mission (v.4-5).
- The request: a simple appeal for bread from a leader in need.
- The refusal: a mocking question that exposes unbelief.
- The promise: Gideon seals their fate with a word of coming judgment.
- The lesson: God’s cause does not depend on the odds we see.
Illustration hooks
- A neighbor who won’t lend you a ladder because they fear you might break it, even as your house is on fire.
- A congregation that withholds funds from a church plant in a dangerous neighborhood, citing financial risk, while a mission field is open.
- A coworker who refuses to take a stand for what is right because they worry about their reputation with management.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Succoth’s refusal just cautious wisdom, or was it a sin? How do we tell the difference?
- Why does Gideon react so harshly? Is that how God treats those who hesitate?
- What “Midianite kings” do we fear more than we trust God’s power?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with a moment when fear and calculation choke compassion. The leaders of Succoth had every human reason to say no, and they missed a divine invitation to say yes. As your group works through the text, let it search your own patterns of withholding help when the outcome is uncertain.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Gideon’s physical and emotional state from verses 4-5? How does that shape your understanding of his request?
- Why do the princes phrase their refusal as a rhetorical question? What does that tone reveal?
- Read Judges 5:23. How does the curse of Meroz compare to Succoth’s choice?
- In what ways might Succoth have justified their refusal? Are there times when refusing to help someone is the right call?
- Gideon responds with a threat (v.7). Is this a model for how believers should handle rejection? What does it tell us about his confidence in God?
- When have you held back support, time, money, reputation, because you feared the cost if God’s plan did not succeed?
- How does this story challenge the way we evaluate risks in ministry and daily obedience?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 25:13 | These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, |
| Genesis 37:25 | They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. |
| Genesis 37:28 | Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt. |
| Judges 5:23 | ‘Curse Meroz,’ said Yahweh’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the mighty.’ |
| Judges 8:15 | He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” |
| I Samuel 25:10 | Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. |
| I Samuel 25:11 | Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?” |
| I Kings 20:11 | The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the refusal to help Gideon came from a fear that if Gideon were overpowered, the Midianites would take revenge on them. This fear showed they dared not trust God to protect them from that outcome.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Albert Barnes notes that the men of Succoth refused to supply Gideon's men not out of hostility but from fear. The Midianite army was still large and menacing, and Gideon's campaign looked too uncertain to risk their vengeance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note observes that the section may be a fragment from an independent source, not a direct continuation of the preceding panic and flight. It also highlights the terse Hebrew phrasing behind the chiefs' proud taunt, and notes that the word for "crescents" is related to an Aramaic moon-god name, not the ordinary Hebrew word for moon.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the princes' sneering refusal to help Gideon until they see tangible proof of victory. Their question mocks Gideon by demanding the actual hands of the enemy kings as a condition for aid, exposing both their unbelief and their hard-hearted scorn toward God’s chosen deliverer.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the princes of Succoth refused to help Gideon because they doubted he could capture the Midianite kings. Their sarcastic question revealed selfish fear of retaliation and cruel indifference to their brothers' need. This ingratitude and distrust stirred even the humble Gideon to righteous anger.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees the princes' reply as doubly contemptible: insolent because it taunts Gideon as if his victory is uncertain, and time-serving because they fear future revenge from the Midianite chiefs. For JFB, this cold calculation from fellow Israelites is heartless and disgraceful.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see the refusal of Succoth and Penuel as rooted in contempt, not mere fear. The rulers mocked Gideon's small force, revealing their utter lack of confidence in God. Gideon's threat to thresh their flesh with desert thorns pictures the severe judgment their unbelief deserved.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that Gideon's true struggle was not merely against Midian but against the unbelief and selfishness within Israel itself. Succoth and Penuel represent how even God's own people can become obstacles to His work, prioritizing their own safety over supporting a divine mission.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the remarkable perseverance of Gideon's men: though they were exhausted, they kept chasing the enemy. He contrasts this with the cold-hearted refusal of Succoth and Penuel, who would not help their own countrymen. For Henry, their unwillingness betrayed a lack of trust that God would give Gideon victory.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.