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.
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies - about fifteen thousand men. This was all that remained of the eastern armies, because 120,000 sword-carrying warriors had already been killed in battle.
This verse shows that Gideon's enemies had been devastated in battle, with only 15,000 soldiers remaining out of what was once a massive army of 135,000 men.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Gideon's pursuit of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna after his famous victory with just 300 men. The 'children of the east' refers to various nomadic tribes including Midianites, Amalekites, and others who regularly raided Israel. Karkor was likely located east of the Jordan River, where these defeated armies had retreated.
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