Judges 8:30

Gideon

²⁸ In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,

²⁹ and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.

Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

³¹ His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

³² Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
KJV: And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
WEB: Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.
ASV: And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.
DARBY: Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins, for he had many wives.
BLB: And Gideon had seventy sons coming from his loin, for unto him were many wives,

ÅB: Gideon hadde sytti sønner som var kommet av hans lend; for han hadde mange hustruer.
OTB: Han hadde sytti sønner, da han hadde mange hustruer.
B1930: Gideon hadde sytti sønner som var kommet av hans lend; for han hadde mange hustruer.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Judges 9:2
“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
Read in context
Judges 9:5
He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 17:17
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
Read in context
1 Kings 11:3
He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.
Read in context
Genesis 7:7
And Noah and his wife, with his sons and their wives, entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
Read in context
Malachi 2:15
Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:2–5
And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
Read in context
Judges 12:9
He had thirty sons, as well as thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage to men outside his clan; and for his sons he brought back thirty wives from elsewhere. Ibzan judged Israel seven years.
Read in context