Judges 8:9
New International Version
So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”

New Living Translation
So he said to the people of Peniel, “After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.”

English Standard Version
And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

Berean Standard Bible
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

King James Bible
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

New King James Version
So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!”

New American Standard Bible
So he said also to the men of Penuel, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”

NASB 1995
So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”

NASB 1977
So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”

Amplified Bible
So Gideon said also to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

Christian Standard Bible
He also told the men of Penuel, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He also told the men of Penuel, “When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!”

American Standard Version
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Contemporary English Version
"I'll come back safe and sound," Gideon said, "but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!"

English Revised Version
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So he told them, "When I come back after my victory, I'll tear down this tower."

Good News Translation
So he said to them, "I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear this tower down!"

International Standard Version
So he responded the same way to the men of Penuel, "When I come back safely, I'm going to tear down this tower."

Majority Standard Bible
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

NET Bible
He also threatened the men of Penuel, warning, "When I return victoriously, I will tear down this tower."

New Heart English Bible
He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

World English Bible
He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he also speaks to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he speaketh also to the men of Penuel, saying, 'In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say also to the men of Penuel, saying, In my turning back in peace I will break down this tower.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He said therefore to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”

New American Bible
So to the people of Penuel, too, he said, “When I return in peace, I will demolish this tower.”

New Revised Standard Version
So he said to the people of Penuel, “When I come back victorious, I will break down this tower.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said also to the men of Penuel, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said also to the men of Penuil “When I have come in peace, I shall tear down this tower!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying: 'When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Gedeon said to the men of Phanuel, When I return in peace, I will break down this tower.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna
8From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth. 9So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!” 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.…

Cross References
Judges 7:15
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

Judges 6:14
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

Judges 6:36-40
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, / then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” / And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. ...

Judges 7:2-7
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ / Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained. / Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” ...

Judges 7:9-14
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. / But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah / and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp. ...

Judges 8:4-5
Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit. / So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

Judges 8:16-17
Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth. / He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

1 Samuel 17:45-47
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 14:6
Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

2 Kings 19:31-34
For a remnant will go forth from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. / So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. ...

Isaiah 37:33-35
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. / ‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

Isaiah 41:10-13
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. / Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. / You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. ...

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. / That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


Treasury of Scripture

And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

I come

1 Kings 22:27,28
And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace…

I will break

Judges 8:17
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

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Judges 8
1. Gideon pacifies the Ephraimites
4. Succoth and Penuel refuse to deliver Gideon's army
10. Zebah and Zalmunna are taken
13. Succoth and Penuel are destroyed
17. Gideon revenges his brothers's death on Zebah and Zalmunna
22. He refuses government
24. His ephod the cause of idolatry
28. Midian subdued
29. Gideon's children, and death
33. The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude














So he said
This phrase indicates a direct communication from Gideon, the judge and military leader of Israel. In the Hebrew text, the verb used here is "אָמַר" (amar), which is a common term for speaking or saying. It emphasizes the authority and decisiveness of Gideon's words, reflecting his leadership role and the seriousness of his intent.

to the men of Penuel
Penuel, or Peniel, is a location east of the Jordan River, significant in biblical history as the place where Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32:30). The men of Penuel, therefore, are part of the Israelite tribes, yet their response to Gideon reflects a lack of faith and support for his God-ordained mission. This highlights the recurring theme of internal strife and division among the Israelites during the time of the Judges.

When I return in triumph
The phrase "return in triumph" is a declaration of faith and confidence in God's deliverance. The Hebrew root for "triumph" here is "שׁוּב" (shuv), meaning to return or come back. Gideon's assurance of victory is not based on his own strength but on the divine promise and past experiences of God's faithfulness. This reflects a key aspect of conservative Christian theology: trust in God's sovereignty and providence.

I will tear down
The act of tearing down, from the Hebrew "הָרַס" (haras), implies a complete and forceful destruction. This is not merely a threat but a prophetic declaration of judgment against those who oppose God's chosen leader. It underscores the biblical principle that disobedience and lack of faith have tangible consequences, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament.

this tower
The tower in Penuel symbolizes human pride and self-reliance, standing in contrast to reliance on God. In ancient Near Eastern culture, towers were often built for defense and as symbols of strength. By targeting the tower, Gideon is addressing the root of the men's defiance and misplaced trust. This act serves as a reminder of the futility of human efforts apart from God's will, echoing the biblical narrative of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).

(9) When I come again in peace.--Comp. 1Kings 22:27.

I will break down this tower.--If the strength of their citadel emboldened them to refuse food to Gideon's fainting warriors, it would also have helped to protect them against the dreaded vengeance of Midian.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So [Gideon]
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

told
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the men
לְאַנְשֵׁ֥י (lə·’an·šê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of Penuel,
פְנוּאֵ֖ל (p̄ə·nū·’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6439: Penuel -- 'face of God', a place East of the Jordan, also two Israelites

“When I return
בְּשׁוּבִ֣י (bə·šū·ḇî)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

in triumph,
בְשָׁל֔וֹם (ḇə·šā·lō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

I will tear down
אֶתֹּ֖ץ (’et·tōṣ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5422: To pull down, break down

this
הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

tower!”
הַמִּגְדָּ֥ל (ham·miḡ·dāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4026: A tower, a rostrum, a, bed of flowers


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OT History: Judges 8:9 He spoke also to the men (Jd Judg. Jdg)
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