What happensPermalink
Gibeon and his 300 men pursue the Midianites. When they capture their two kings, they kill the kings and punish the people of Succoth and Penuel who had not helped them on their way. The people make Gideon king, but he leads them into idolatry. After ruling forty years, he dies.
Why it mattersPermalink
While God’s command and blessing covered Gideon’s initial defeat of Midian, God is hardly mentioned in this chapter as Gideon does what he wishes. Not surprisingly, Gideon says the right things, but leads Israel astray. As soon as he dies, Israel returns to idolatry.
Key versePermalink
And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.