Old Testament: Jdg 8.29–32

To read the Bible in a year, read Judges 8–9 on April 2, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

Gideon served Israel by being a judge for them before Almighty God. He did well for Israel, freeing them from the Midianites. Then it was time to die: 

Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. Now Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

– Judges 8.29–32 

He had been a good man for Israel, so God gave him a good parting from this earth, and they honored him by burying him in the tomb of his father. 

He also had a large family, that of 70 sons, and many wives, which leads me to believe that he had to be wealthy to support such a brood. 

Questions: 

• Was polygamy a blessing or a curse? 
• Who was the son of Gideon’s concubine? 

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