Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Judges 8:33
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, etc.] from God, and the pure worship of him, to idolatry: and went a whoring after Baalim; the gods of the Phoenicians and Canaanites, the several Baals of other nations, the lords many which they served; these they committed spiritual whoredom with; that is, idolatry: particularly and made Baalberith their god; which was the idol of the Shechemites, as appears from a temple being built at Shechem for it, (<070904>Judges 9:4) and had its name either from Berytus, a city of Phoenicia, of which Mela f189 and Pliny f190 make mention, and where this Baal might be first worshipped; it was fifty miles from Sidon, and was in later times a seat of learning f191; of this city was Sanchoniatho, a Phoenician historian, who is said to receive many things he writes about the Jews from Jerombalus, supposed to be Jerubbaal, or Gideon; (see Gill on “<070632>Judges 6:32”) and who tells f192 us, that Cronus or Ham gave this city to Neptune and the Cabiri, and who also relates f193 that Beruth is the name of a Phoenician deity. Though it may be rather this idol had its name from its supposed concern in covenants, the word “Berith” signifying a covenant; and so the Targum and Syriac version call him the lord of covenant; and the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions are, “and they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god;” as if he had his name from hence; though rather from his presiding over covenants, as Janus is said f194 to do, and from his avenging the breach of them, and rewarding those that kept them; the same with Jupiter Fidius Ultor, and Sponsor f195 with the Romans, and Horcius f196 with the Greeks.
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