John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And the men of Ephraim said unto him , etc.] To Gideon, when they brought him the heads of Oreb and Zeeb; taking this to be a proper opportunity to expostulate and chide with him, when they had done so much service: why hast thou served us thus ; neglected them, overlooked them, which they took as a reproach to them, and as if he had bore them ill will: that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites ? that he did not call them first, when he called other tribes, as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, when they were as near or nearer, and more nearly allied, being both the descendants of Joseph; and were the tribe that Jacob had given the preference to; and being of proud spirits they envied the glory that Gideon, who was of the tribe of Manasseh, had got; and by which they were jealous he would advance that tribe above theirs: and they did chide with him sharply ; used rough words and ill language, and threw out many keen and biting expressions, which discovered great anger and wrath, envy and ill will.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-3 - Those who will not attempt or venture any thing in the cause of God will be the most ready to censure and quarrel with such as are of more zealous and enterprising spirit. And those who are the mos backward to difficult services, will be the most angry not to have the credit of them. Gideon stands here as a great example of self-denial and shows us that envy is best removed by humility. The Ephraimites ha given vent to their passion in very wrong freedom of speech, a certai sign of a weak cause: reason runs low when chiding flies high.
Original Hebrew ויאמרו559 אליו413 אישׁ376 אפרים669 מה4100 הדבר1697 הזה2088 עשׂית6213 לנו לבלתי1115 קראות7121 לנו כי3588 הלכת1980 להלחם3898 במדין4080 ויריבון7378 אתו854 בחזקה׃2394
_1184-301.jpg "Illustration and Scripture")
