Judges 8:10 provides a snapshot of the situation after Gideon's initial victories against the Midianites and their allies, the "children of the east." Let's break it down:
"Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor...": Zebah and Zalmunna were the kings of Midian. Karkor was a city (likely fortified) where they had retreated to, trying to regroup and find safety.
"...and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men...": This indicates that Zebah and Zalmunna still had a sizable fighting force of approximately 15,000 soldiers. This was the remainder of their initial invasion force.
"...all who were left of all the army of the children of the east...": This emphasizes that this group of 15,000 wasn't just Midianites, but also included soldiers from other eastern tribes who had allied with them. This was the remaining force of the entire invasion force.
"...for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.": This is the crucial part. It states that before this point, Gideon and his (much smaller) Israelite force had already killed a staggering 120,000 soldiers from this coalition. The phrase "who drew sword" specifies fighting men, soldiers.
In Summary:
The verse highlights the following:
The Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, were on the run, having lost a large portion of their army.
They were in Karkor with a remaining force of about 15,000 soldiers, made up of the remnants of a coalition of eastern tribes.
Gideon's victories had been incredibly decisive, resulting in the death of 120,000 enemy soldiers.
Significance:
This verse emphasizes the extent of Gideon's victory so far. It shows just how dramatically Gideon's leadership and God's favor had turned the tide against a significantly larger and more powerful enemy. The remaining 15,000 soldiers still posed a threat, but the verse makes it clear that the Midianites were now significantly weakened and demoralized.
Judges 8:10 provides a snapshot of the situation after Gideon's initial victories against the Midianites and their allies, the "children of the east." Let's break it down:
"Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor...": Zebah and Zalmunna were the kings of Midian. Karkor was a city (likely fortified) where they had retreated to, trying to regroup and find safety.
"...and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men...": This indicates that Zebah and Zalmunna still had a sizable fighting force of approximately 15,000 soldiers. This was the remainder of their initial invasion force.
"...all who were left of all the army of the children of the east...": This emphasizes that this group of 15,000 wasn't just Midianites, but also included soldiers from other eastern tribes who had allied with them. This was the remaining force of the entire invasion force.
"...for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.": This is the crucial part. It states that before this point, Gideon and his (much smaller) Israelite force had already killed a staggering 120,000 soldiers from this coalition. The phrase "who drew sword" specifies fighting men, soldiers.
In Summary:
The verse highlights the following:
The Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, were on the run, having lost a large portion of their army.
They were in Karkor with a remaining force of about 15,000 soldiers, made up of the remnants of a coalition of eastern tribes.
Gideon's victories had been incredibly decisive, resulting in the death of 120,000 enemy soldiers.
Significance:
This verse emphasizes the extent of Gideon's victory so far. It shows just how dramatically Gideon's leadership and God's favor had turned the tide against a significantly larger and more powerful enemy. The remaining 15,000 soldiers still posed a threat, but the verse makes it clear that the Midianites were now significantly weakened and demoralized.