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25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.”[a] So they[b] spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to 1,700 gold shekels.[c] This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,[d] purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels.[e] 27 Gideon used all this to make[f] an ephod,[g] which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites[h] prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it[i] there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 8:25 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
  2. Judges 8:25 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
  3. Judges 8:26 sn 1,700 gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
  4. Judges 8:26 tn Or “pendants.”
  5. Judges 8:26 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
  6. Judges 8:27 tn Heb “made it into.”
  7. Judges 8:27 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
  8. Judges 8:27 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
  9. Judges 8:27 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[a] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(A) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(B) which he placed in Ophrah,(C) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(D) to Gideon and his family.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms

25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

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25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27 Then Gideon (A)made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, (B)Ophrah. And all Israel (C)played the harlot with it there. It became (D)a snare to Gideon and to his house.

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