Judges 8:10
New International Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.

New Living Translation
By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.

English Standard Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.

Berean Standard Bible
Now 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.

King James Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

New King James Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.

New American Standard Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire army of the people of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.

NASB 1995
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.

NASB 1977
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camps with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire camp of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 men who drew the sword.

Amplified Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand [fighting] men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.

Christian Standard Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about fifteen thousand men, who were all those left of the entire army of the people of the east. Those who had been killed were one hundred twenty thousand armed men.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about 15,000 men, who were all those left of the entire army of the Qedemites. Those who had been killed were 120,000 warriors.

American Standard Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Contemporary English Version
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of 15,000 troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because 120,000 of their warriors had been killed in the battle.

English Revised Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of about 15,000 men. This was all that was left of Kedem's entire army. In the battle, 120,000 soldiers died.

Good News Translation
Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army. Of the whole army of desert tribesmen, only about 15,000 were left; 120,000 soldiers had been killed.

International Standard Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, along with their armies, about 15,000 men who survived from the entire army of the group from the east, since 120,000 swordsmen had already fallen.

Majority Standard Bible
Now 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.

NET Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.

New Heart English Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the Kedemites; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

World English Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Zebah and Zalmunna [are] in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling [are] one hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword.

Young's Literal Translation
And Zebah and Zalmunna are in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling are a hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Zebah and Zalmunna are in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all those remaining from all the camp of the sons of the east: and there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men drawing the sword.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword, were slain.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were resting with their entire army. For fifteen thousand men were left out of all the troops of the eastern people. And one hundred twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword had been cut down.

New American Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their force of about fifteen thousand men; these were all who were left of the whole Kedemite army, a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen having fallen.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the east; for one hundred twenty thousand men bearing arms had fallen.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were staying at Karkab, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the armies of the people of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Zebakh and Tsalmenna were camping in Qarqab and their troops with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left from all the camps of the children of the East, and because a hundred and twenty thousand men drawing a sword had fallen
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Zebee and Salmana were in Carcar, and their host was with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of all the host of the aliens; and they that fell were a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna
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. 11And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.…

Cross References
Psalm 83:11
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

Isaiah 10:12
So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes.

Isaiah 10:26
And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.

Isaiah 9:4
For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

Isaiah 10:24-27
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, who strikes you with a rod and lifts his staff against you as the Egyptians did. / For in just a little while My fury against you will subside, and My anger will turn to their destruction.” / And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt. ...

1 Samuel 12:9-11
But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. / Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’ / So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

1 Samuel 14:47-48
After Saul had assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side—the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he routed them. / He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of its plunderers.

1 Kings 20:1
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.

1 Kings 20:29-30
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. / The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

2 Kings 13:3-7
So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad. / Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him because He saw the oppression that the king of Aram had inflicted on Israel. / So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before. ...

2 Kings 13:22-25
And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. / But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence. / When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. ...

Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, / who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, / quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4
For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. / The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!


Treasury of Scripture

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Karkor.

Judges 7:12
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

fell an hundred, etc.

Judges 7:22
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

Judges 20:2,15,17,25,35,46
And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword…

2 Kings 3:26
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

Jump to Previous
Armies Army Children Drew East Eastern Entire Host Hosts Hundred Peoples Sword Swordsmen Thousand Twenty Zalmunna Zalmun'na Zebah
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Armies Army Children Drew East Eastern Entire Host Hosts Hundred Peoples Sword Swordsmen Thousand Twenty Zalmunna Zalmun'na Zebah
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














Now Zebah and Zalmunna
Zebah and Zalmunna were Midianite kings, representing the oppressive forces against Israel. Their names, meaning "sacrifice" and "protection withheld," respectively, symbolize the spiritual and physical threats faced by the Israelites. Historically, the Midianites were nomadic tribes, often in conflict with Israel, and their leaders embodied the resistance to God's chosen people.

were in Karkor
Karkor is believed to be a location east of the Jordan River, possibly in the region of modern-day Jordan. The name "Karkor" suggests a place of rest or security, indicating a temporary refuge for the Midianite kings. This setting highlights the strategic movements in ancient warfare and the geographical challenges faced by Gideon and his men.

with their army of about fifteen thousand men
The mention of "fifteen thousand men" underscores the significant reduction in the Midianite forces, emphasizing the miraculous nature of Israel's victory. In the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, such a number would still represent a formidable force, yet it pales in comparison to the original size of the Midianite army.

all that were left of the armies of the people of the east
The "people of the east" refers to the coalition of tribes, including the Midianites, Amalekites, and others, who were traditional enemies of Israel. This phrase highlights the widespread nature of the threat and the comprehensive victory achieved by Gideon. It also reflects the biblical theme of God delivering His people from overwhelming odds.

A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen
This staggering number of casualties illustrates the scale of the conflict and the divine intervention on behalf of Israel. The term "swordsmen" indicates trained warriors, emphasizing the might of the enemy that was overcome. Historically, such a defeat would have been demoralizing and a testament to the power of God working through Gideon.

(10) In Karkor.--This was the scene of the third battle, or massacre. When they had reached this distant point they probably felt secure. Karkor means, "a safe enclosure," and the Vulg., regarding it as an ordinary noun, renders it, "where Zebah and Zalmunna were resting." Eusebius and Jerome identify Karkor with a fortress named Karkaria, a day's journey north of Petra; but, from the mention of Nobah and Jogbehah in the next verse, this seems to be too far south. If so, it may be Karkagheisch, not far from Amman (Rabbath Ammon), mentioned by Burckhardt. It was, however, "at a very great distance" (Jos., Antt. viii. 6, ? 5 from the original scene of battle.

Verse 10. - Karkor. Or, rather, the Karkor. We are still on unknown ground. The situation assigned to it by Eusebius and Jerome, as being the same as a castle called Carcaria, near Petra, is quite out of the question, as being greatly too far south. As an appellative it suggests the idea of a walled-in space (kir = a wall; kir-kir = a space walled all round; cf. the Latin carcer, a prison); possibly an enclosed sheep or cattle fold on a large scale (see Numbers 32:36: "built ... folds for sheep"), affording some protection to the Midianite soldiers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Zebah
וְזֶ֨בַח (wə·ze·ḇaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2078: Zebah -- a Midianite king

and Zalmunna
וְצַלְמֻנָּ֜ע (wə·ṣal·mun·nā‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6759: Zalmunna -- a king of Midian

were in Karkor
בַּקַּרְקֹ֗ר (baq·qar·qōr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7174: Karkor -- a place East of the Jordan

with
עִמָּם֙ (‘im·mām)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

their army
וּמַחֲנֵיהֶ֤ם (ū·ma·ḥă·nê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

of about fifteen
כַּחֲמֵ֤שֶׁת (ka·ḥă·mê·šeṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2568: Five

thousand [men]—
אֶ֔לֶף (’e·lep̄)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505: A thousand

all
כֹּ֚ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that were left
הַנּ֣וֹתָרִ֔ים (han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3498: To jut over, exceed, to excel, to remain, be left, to leave, cause to abound, preserve

of
מִכֹּ֖ל (mik·kōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the armies
מַחֲנֵ֣ה (ma·ḥă·nêh)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

of the people
בְנֵי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of the East.
קֶ֑דֶם (qe·ḏem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

A hundred
מֵאָ֨ה (mê·’āh)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 3967: A hundred

and twenty
וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים (wə·‘eś·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

thousand
אֶ֛לֶף (’e·lep̄)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505: A thousand

swordsmen
אִ֖ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

had already fallen.
וְהַנֹּ֣פְלִ֔ים (wə·han·nō·p̄ə·lîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT History: Judges 8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor (Jd Judg. Jdg)
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