Zebah was a Midianite king mentioned in the Book of Judges, specifically in Judges 8. He, along with his fellow king Zalmunna, played a significant role in the narrative of Gideon, one of the judges of Israel. The account of Zebah and Zalmunna is a critical episode in the account of Israel's deliverance from the oppression of the Midianites.

Biblical Account

The account of Zebah is primarily found in Judges 8. After Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, was called by God to deliver Israel from the Midianites, he led a small army of 300 men against the vast Midianite forces. Through divine intervention, Gideon achieved a miraculous victory, causing the Midianites to flee.

Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, managed to escape initially. However, Gideon pursued them beyond the Jordan River. In Judges 8:5-12, Gideon requests provisions from the men of Succoth and Penuel during his pursuit, but both towns refuse to assist him. Despite this setback, Gideon continues his pursuit and eventually captures Zebah and Zalmunna.

Judgment and Execution

Upon capturing the Midianite kings, Gideon confronts them about their past actions. In Judges 8:18-19, Gideon questions Zebah and Zalmunna about the men they killed at Tabor. They respond, "Each one resembled the son of a king," to which Gideon reveals that they had killed his brothers. This personal vendetta adds a layer of motivation for Gideon's relentless pursuit.

Gideon then commands his firstborn son, Jether, to execute the kings, but Jether hesitates due to his youth and fear. Zebah and Zalmunna, recognizing the situation, challenge Gideon to kill them himself, saying, "Rise and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength" (Judges 8:21). Gideon accepts the challenge and executes them, thus avenging his brothers and completing his mission against the Midianites.

Theological Significance

The account of Zebah and Zalmunna highlights several theological themes. Firstly, it underscores the sovereignty of God in delivering His people through unlikely means and individuals, as seen in Gideon's victory with a small army. Secondly, it illustrates the concept of divine justice and retribution, as Gideon avenges the blood of his brothers, fulfilling the principle of justice found throughout the Old Testament.

Additionally, the narrative serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and idolatry, which had led Israel into oppression by the Midianites. The account of Zebah and Zalmunna, therefore, is not just a tale of military conquest but also a call to faithfulness and reliance on God.

Historical and Cultural Context

Zebah and Zalmunna were leaders of the Midianites, a nomadic people often in conflict with Israel. The Midianites were descendants of Midian, a son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). Their interactions with Israel were marked by both conflict and cooperation at different times in biblical history.

The defeat of Zebah and Zalmunna by Gideon marked a significant turning point in the period of the Judges, as it brought about a temporary peace and relief from Midianite oppression. This victory is celebrated as a testament to God's deliverance and the faithfulness of His chosen leaders.Zebah

victim; sacrifice

Zebah

and Zalmunna (deprived of protection), the two "kings" of Midian who commanded the great invasion of Palestine, and who finally fell by the hand of Gideon himself. (Judges 8:5-21; Psalms 83:11) (B.C. 1250.) While Oreb and Zeeb, two of the inferior leaders of the incursion, had been slain, with a vast number of their people, by the Ephraimites, at the central fords of the Jordan the two kings had succeeded in making their escape by a passage farther to the north (probably the ford near Bethshean), and thence by the Wady Yabis , through Gilead, to Kurkor, high up on the Hauran. Here they sere reposing their with 15,000 men, a mere remnant of their huge horde, when Gideon overtook them. The people fled in dismay, and Gideon captured the two kings and brought them to his native village, Ophrah where he slew them because they had killed his brothers.

Man-killer, or sacrifice, one of the two kings who led the vast host of the Midianites who invaded the land of Israel, and over whom Gideon gained a great and decisive victory (Judges 8). Zebah and Zalmunna had succeeded in escaping across the Jordan with a remnant of the Midianite host, but were overtaken at Karkor, probably in the Hauran, and routed by Gideon. The kings were taken alive and brought back across the Jordan; and confessing that they had personally taken part in the slaughter of Gideon's brothers, they were put to death (Comp. 1 Samuel 12:11; Isaiah 10:26; Psalm 83:11). ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA

ze'-ba (zebhach, "victim"), zal-mun'-a (tsalmunna`, "protection refused"): Two Midianite kings or chiefs whom Gideon slew (Judges 8:4-21 Psalm 83:11 (Hebrew text, verse 12)). The name zebhach (Zebee) is very much like that of ze'ebh (Zeb, "Zeeb" in the Septuagint). Moore (Judgess, 220) says that tsalmunna` is probably "a genuine Midianite name"; Noldeke conjectured that it contains that of a deity (ts(a)lm), and a compound form tslmshzbh, is found in an inscription from Teima, a place East of the Midianite capital (Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum, II, cxiiiff).

The narrative of Judges 8:4-21 is not to be connected with that of 8:1-3. Budde (Kurzer Hand-Comm. z. Altes Testament, XXII) would join 8:4 to 6:34; Moore (ICC) following Budde's earlier work (1890) would connect it with a part of 7:22b, describing the direction of the flight, while Nowack (Hand-Komm.) regards the battle of 8:11 as the same as that of 7:11 if; he then takes the latter part of 8:11 to refer to the place of the camp at night. There are many difficulties in forming a natural connection for the verses. It may be noted that in 8:18 Gideon is not "the least in my father's house," as he represents himself to be in 6:15.

The whole section tells of a daring raid made by Gideon upon the Midianites. Some of his own kin had been slain by Midianite hordes at Ophrah (Judges 8:18 f), and, stirred by this, Gideon went in hot pursuit with 300 men (Judges 8:4). He requested provisions for his men from the people of Succoth and Penuel, but was refused this. He then went on and caught the Midianites unawares at Karkor (Judges 8:10) and captured their two chiefs. He then had his revenge on the two towns, and returned probably to his home with the two notable prisoners. These he determined to slay to avenge the death of his own kinsmen, and called upon his eldest son to perform this solemn public duty that he owed to the dead. His son, apparently only a boy, hesitated, and he did the deed himself. W. R. Smith (Lectures on the Religion of the Semites, 2nd edition, 417, note) compares with this call to Gideon's son the choice of young men or lads as sacrificers in Exodus 24:5, and says that the Saracens also charged lads with the execution of their captives.

The narrative reminds one of David's romantic life in 1 Samuel 25; 1 Samuel 27; 30. It is throughout a characteristic picture of the life of the early Hebrews in Palestine, for whom it was a sacred duty to avenge the dead. It affords a splendid illustration of what is meant by the spirit of Yahweh coming upon, or rather "clothing itself with" (Revised Version margin) Gideon (Judges 6:34); compare also Saul's call to action (1 Samuel 11:1-11), and also Judges 19 f.

David Francis Roberts

2078. Zebach -- a Midianite king
... 2077, 2078. Zebach. 2079 . a Midianite king. Transliteration: Zebach Phonetic
Spelling: (zeh'-bakh) Short Definition: Zebah. ... Zebah. ...
/hebrew/2078.htm - 6k

Gideon's Brave Band
... he said to the men of Succoth, "Give, I beg of you, loaves of bread to the people
who follow me, for they are faint and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/gideons brave band.htm

Judges
... 3; according to the earlier version, viii.4-21, which is on a smaller scale, Gideon,
accompanied by part of his clan, takes the lives of Zebah and Zalmunna to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/judges.htm

The Story of Gideon and his Three Hundred Soldiers
... his brave three hundred men followed closely after them, fought another battle with
them, destroyed them utterly, and took their two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of gideon and.htm

Shoes of Iron, and Strength Sufficient: a New Year's Promise
... lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet." Are we not often too much like
the young man Jether, who was bidden by his father to slay Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/shoes of iron and strength.htm

Discussion of the Subject of Permission
... of Succoth and Penuel to withhold bread from the army of Gideon, partly that He
might test the constancy of those, who were "pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 3/discussion of the subject of.htm

Zebah (9 Occurrences)
... who led the vast host of the Midianites who invaded the land of Israel, and over
whom Gideon gained a great and decisive victory (Judges 8). Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/z/zebah.htm - 13k

Zalmunna (9 Occurrences)
... Gideon. He was slain afterwards with Zebah (Judges 8:5-21). (see ZEBAH.).
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA. ze ...
/z/zalmunna.htm - 13k

Zalmun'na (8 Occurrences)
... 8:5 So he said to the men of Succoth, "Pray, give loaves of bread to the people
who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmun'na ...
/z/zalmun'na.htm - 8k

Succoth (18 Occurrences)
... 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who
follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/s/succoth.htm - 16k

Weariness (44 Occurrences)
... Judges 8:5 And he said to the men of Succoth, Give bread cakes to my people, for
they are overcome with weariness, and I am going on after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/w/weariness.htm - 19k

Wearied (36 Occurrences)
... to the men of Succoth, 'Give, I pray you, cakes of bread to the people who 'are'
at my feet, for they 'are' wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/w/wearied.htm - 17k

Weary (77 Occurrences)
... to the men of Succoth, 'Give, I pray you, cakes of bread to the people who 'are'
at my feet, for they 'are' wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna ...
/w/weary.htm - 29k

Mid'ian (47 Occurrences)
... 8:5 So he said to the men of Succoth, "Pray, give loaves of bread to the people
who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmun'na ...
/m/mid'ian.htm - 20k

Gideon (45 Occurrences)
... 2. The Midianite Oppression: The Midianites under Zebah and Zalmunna, their two
greatest chiefs, accompanied by other wild tribes of the eastern desert, had ...
/g/gideon.htm - 36k

Necks (28 Occurrences)
... Judges 8:21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise and fall on us; for as the man is,
so is his strength." Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took ...
/n/necks.htm - 15k

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