提要
驕傲、自私的以法蓮人因基甸沒早一點呼召他們參戰，以致他們無法分享勝利的榮耀（其實這榮耀完全屬於上帝）和戰利品而生氣不已。以法蓮似乎是一個愛抱怨的支派（12：1~4；書17：14），但基甸很有智慧，他知道如何與他們應對，打消他們的怒氣以維持和睦。基甸用溫和的話回答他們，且不吝讚譽他們的表現，使他們看起來比基甸還高明。
基甸和他的三百勇士在還未擄獲米甸人的王（分屬兩個不同的派系）之前仍不罷休。他們甚至過了約旦河，到疏割和毗努伊勒的以色列人境內追趕敵人。由於以色列國的分裂，河東的支派對他們保持距離，對基甸的要求也無動於衷。他們拒絕給基甸和他饑腸轆轆的隨員一點麵包，大概是怕米甸人報復。他們可能認為，米甸人雖然損失了大部分的士兵（10節），但餘數仍多，還是可以輕易的擊敗微少的以色列人。當基甸證明了他們的想法錯誤後，就照著他所說的懲罰他們（16~17節）。
米甸人可能沒有想到基甸會跑這麼老遠來追趕他們，他們過了約旦河就覺得安全而卸除了武裝，然而基甸再次出其不意的攻擊他們而獲得勝利（11節）。基甸捕獲了米甸人的王，他不僅是征服者，也是報血仇的人（申19：6），他有責任殺二王，因為他們殺了基甸的兄弟。
基甸為以色列人征服大敵，以色列的各支派也首次表達了他們希望立王的意願，正如摩西所預料的（申17：14~15），並要求基甸治理他們。但上帝的時候還沒有到，基甸拒絕了他們的請求，因為他和撒母耳一樣，篤信上帝才是至高獨一的統治者（撒上8：4~7）。
基甸在以信心的大能贏得勝利之後，隨即要求得到戰利品中的金子，他沒有求問上帝就用那些金子鑄了個重約三十一公斤的以弗得。基甸製造以弗得的原因不明，但我們曉得，以弗得是大祭司服飾的一部分，在它的胸牌上有烏陵和土明，用來尋求上帝的旨意（出28：6~14；撒上23：9~12；30：7~8）。在上帝所指示的那件以弗得出廠後，複製以弗得似乎成了風尚，且與「家中的神像」發生關聯（17：5），可能被用來占卜。基甸做以弗得可能是試著要使以色列人更接近上帝，但他失敗了，他的以弗得反而絆倒了軟弱、不成熟的以色列人，演變成一種偶像。聖經告訴我們，那個以弗得「作了基甸和他全家的網羅」（27節），意思是他們因那以弗得受了許多苦（如基甸眾子之死，9：5）。
基甸當然為他意料不到的後果感到痛心和難過，他一定也悔改了。他被認為是他那一代的信心英雄（來11：32），因為他順服上帝，並且憑信心征服了可怕的敵人，帶給以色列人四十年的太平（28節）。
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Overview
The proud and selfish Ephraimites were angry because Gideon had not called upon them earlier that they might share in the glory of the victory (which belonged totally to the Lord), as well as in the spoils of war. It seems they were habitual complainers (e.g.12:1-4; Josh.17:14), but Gideon was wise and knew how to deal with them in order to turn away their wrath and keep the peace. He used a soft and gentle answer which lifted them up to seem better than himself (vv.1-3; Prov.15:1; Phil.2:3-4).
Gideon and his band of 300 men were not yet finished their battle with the Misdianites until their kings (of two different tribes were captured. Their pursuit took them across the Jordan to the territory of their fellow Israelites in Soccoth and Penuel (where Jacob once wrestled with the Angel, Gen.32:30-31). Because of national disunity, these tribes had become separated and indifferent, as is evident in their refusal to give Gideon and his hungry men bread, possibly for fear of Midianite reprisal. They probably thought the Midianites, who were still great in number (even after losing the majority of their men – v.10), would easily defeat the small band of Israelites. When they were proven wrong, Gideon punished them just as he said he would (v.16-17).
Possibly the Midianites did not think Gideon would pursue them that far, for they felt secure and relaxed their guard, but Gideon once again attacked by surprise and was victorious (v.11). When the kings were captured, Gideon became not only their conqueror, but also a blood-avenger (Deut.19:6). It was his duty to kill them. They were responsible for the deaths of his brothers.
As a result of Gideon’s conquest, the Israelite tribes, for the first time, expressed the desire for a king, as Moses had anticipated (Deut.17:14-15), and asked Gideon to rule over them. This was not in God’s timing, and Gideon refused since he rightly believed, like Samuel, that Israel’s only King and Sovereign was their Lord God (1 Sam.8:4-7).
Immediately after Gideon had shown great strength of faith, however, he asked for gold from the plunder, and without inquiring of the Lord, he crafted it into an ephod weighing about 31 kilograms. The reason he made it is unclear, but we know that an ephod was part of the high priest’s attire, as God had instructed Moses, and attached to it’s breastplate were to Urim and Thummin which were somehow used to discover the will of God (Ec.28:6; 1 Sam.23:9-12; 30:7-8). It seems that counterfeit ephods were fashioned after the one that God had ordained. They became associated with “household idols” (17:5) and possibly with divination. Gideon may have made it in an attempt to bring Israel closer to God, but he failed, for it became attempt to bring Israel closer to God, but he failed, for it became a stumbling block to Israel’s weak and immature faith and developed into an object of idolatry. We read that this ephod “became a snare to Gideon and to his household” (v.27), meaning they suffered because of it (e.g. the death of most of his sons, 9:5).
Surely Gideon was grieved by what had happened, and he must have repented. In his generation, he was considered a hero of faith (Heb.11:32), for he believed and obeyed God, and by faith he conquered a terrible foe, bringing a generation of peace to Israel (v.28).
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