Judges 8:13 - Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

Generated Verse: Judges 8:13

What does "Judges 8:13" mean?


Let's break down the verse "Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres" (Judges 8:13) and understand its significance:

"Gideon the son of Joash": This identifies the person being discussed. Gideon is a central figure in the Book of Judges, known for leading the Israelites to victory against the Midianites. Joash is his father.

"returned from the battle": This indicates that Gideon had just finished fighting a battle. Specifically, he had been pursuing the fleeing Midianite army. Chapter 8 of Judges details this pursuit and the capture and killing of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna.

"from the ascent of Heres": This is the crucial part for understanding the verse's context.

"Ascent" can refer to a path leading upwards.
"Heres" is most likely a proper noun referring to a place.

The Meaning and Significance

This verse is a transition point in the narrative. It marks the end of Gideon's pursuit of the Midianites. By stating that he returned "from the ascent of Heres," the author is indicating that Gideon had reached the farthest point of his chase and was now heading back home.

Geographical Marker: Heres serves as a geographical marker to show how far Gideon and his small group of men pursued the Midianites.

Completion of Task: The use of this location potentially signals the completion of Gideon's primary military objective, which was to subdue the Midianites that were oppressing Israel.

Shift in Focus: After this verse, the narrative shifts from the heat of battle to Gideon dealing with the aftermath and the repercussions of his victory. He deals with the people of Succoth and Penuel who refused to help his weary troops and executes Zebah and Zalmunna.

In essence, Judges 8:13 is a brief but important verse that signals a turning point in the Gideon narrative. It indicates that the battle is over, the pursuit has ended, and Gideon is now returning to deal with the consequences of his actions and the future of Israel.

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