Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.
Parallel Translations
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Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.
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And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
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And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.
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Contradictions (2)
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Cross-references (17)
Passages linked to Judges 8:30 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Judges 9:2 “Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
- Judges 9:5 He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
- Deuteronomy 17:17 He shall not multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away. He shall not greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
- 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. His wives turned his heart away.
- Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
- Genesis 7:7 Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters.
- Genesis 46:26 All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six.
- Exodus 1:5 All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
- Judges 10:4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts. They had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
- Judges 12:9 He had thirty sons. He sent his thirty daughters outside his clan, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside his clan for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.
- Judges 12:14 He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.
- 2 Samuel 3:2-5 Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
- 2 Samuel 5:13-16 David took more concubines and wives for himself out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
- 2 Kings 10:1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying,
- Malachi 2:15 Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
- Matthew 19:5-8 and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’ So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.” They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a certificate of divorce, and divorce her?” He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.
- Ephesians 5:31-33 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, which came out of his thigh.
Hebrew, which came out of his thigh.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Jdg 8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons…
Jdg 8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
Ver. 30. Of his body begotten.] Heb., Going out of his thigh, in which there are veins, say anatomists, that go along to the genitals, and convey thither the matter for the seed of generation. Hence that expression of Abraham to his servant, {Gen 24:2} "Put thine hand under my thigh," out of which is to come the Messiah, "and swear," &c. So Gen 47:29; Gen 46:26.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And his concubine that was in Shechem,.... Which was…
And his concubine that was in Shechem,.... Which was not an harlot, but a secondary or half wife; such were generally taken from handmaids, and of the meaner sort, and were not in such esteem as proper wives, had not the management of household affairs, only a share in the bed, and their children did not inherit. This concubine of Gideon's seems not to have been taken into his house at all, but lived at Shechem, perhaps in her father's house, and here Gideon met with her when he went to Shechem as a judge to try causes; her name, according to Josephus (l), was Druma:
she also bare him a son; as his other wives did; perhaps all the children he had were sons, and this was one over and above the seventy, and not to be reckoned into that number:
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whose name he called Abimelech: which signifies, "my father a king"; which he gave him either in memory of the offer made him to be king of Israel, or through foresight of what this son of his would be; or he might be moved to it by the mother from pride and vanity, and which name might afterwards inspire the young man to be made a king, as he was; and the account given of his name is because of the narrative of him in the following chapter.
(l) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 30. Many wives — So to the crime of…
30. Many wives — So to the crime of sacrilege he added that of polygamy.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 30. of his body begotten] Only again in Gen_46:26…
30. of his body begotten] Only again in Gen_46:26 (‘which came out of his loins’) and Exo_1:5 P, cf. Gen_35:11 P. The more sons a man had, the greater his importance, cf. Jdg_10:4, Jdg_12:9.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (30) Threescore and ten sons.—According to Oriental fashion, no…
(30) Threescore and ten sons.—According to Oriental fashion, no account is taken of his daughters.
He had many wives.—It is clear that Gideon was a king in all but name. This is the most magnificent, but the least honourable, period of his career. In Deu_17:17 it had been said of the future king, “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself. . . . neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” Polygamy was only adopted on a large scale by rulers (Jdg_10:4; Jdg_12:9).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 30-32. Gideon had threescore and ten sons, etc.…
Vers. 30-32. Gideon had threescore and ten sons, etc. This notice helps us to fill up the picture of Gideon"s state after the Midianitish victory, lie had indeed nobly refused the kingdom, as a Pericles would have refused to be tyrant of Athena But he did not return to poverty and obscurity, as L. Q. Cincinnatus, in the Roman legend, returned to his plough after his victory over the Volsciana He was judge over Israel for forty years, with a household and a harem like a great prince, living in his paternal city, with the ephod set up there, himself the centre round which the powers of Church and State gathered; directing the affairs of his country, both civil and ecclesiastical, with eminent success, so that the country was at peace for forty years (a peace as long as that which followed the battle of Water-leo), and the detestable Baal-worship was effectually suppressed. And having lived in wealth and honour, he died in peace, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father at Ophrah in a good old age. He remains to us as one of the most remarkable characters of the Old Testament, not indeed without faults and blemishes, and not wholly unspoiled by prosperity, but still a great man, and an eminent servant of God.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.