And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
Gideon said to them, 'I have one request I'd like to make of you: would each of you give me the earrings you took from your enemies?' (The enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
Gideon is asking his soldiers to give him the gold earrings they captured from their defeated enemies as his reward for leading them to victory.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, Gideon had just led the Israelites to a miraculous victory over the Midianites and their allies, as part of God's deliverance during a time of oppression in Israel's history. The Ishmaelites, descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael, were nomadic traders often associated with wearing golden earrings as a cultural practice, which made these items part of the spoils of war. Gideon's request for these earrings came after he declined to become king, revealing his personal desires amid his role as a judge appointed by God.
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