Judges 8:35

Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

Judges 8:35 (KJV)

Context

This verse closes the account of Gideon, one of the judges God raised to rescue Israel from the Midianites. In the book of Judges, the people repeatedly turned from God, suffered oppression, cried out, and were delivered. Gideon’s call begins in Judges 6, where God chooses him despite his hesitation. After God reduces his army to three hundred men, Gideon defeats the Midianites, showing that the victory came from the Lord. The people then offer him kingship, but he refuses, saying that the Lord alone must rule over them.

After Gideon’s death, the nation quickly forgets his work. Judges 8:33-34 records that Israel turned again to worship Baal and did not remember the Lord their God. This verse states plainly that they also failed to show kindness to Gideon’s family. The name Jerubbaal, given to Gideon in Judges 6:32, means “Let Baal contend against him,” reminding readers that Gideon had torn down his father’s altar to Baal. His whole life stood against idolatry, yet the people returned to it.

Meaning

The word “kindness” here carries the sense of covenant loyalty and faithful love. It is not merely a polite feeling but a committed care that honors a person for the good they have done. Israel owed Gideon gratitude, yet they gave him and his household none. Their ingratitude was not a small failure; it was a breaking of the bond between a delivered people and their deliverer.

The verse also exposes a deeper spiritual problem. Israel’s forgetfulness of Gideon matched their forgetfulness of God. They enjoyed deliverance but did not treasure the one who brought it. This pattern runs through Judges: the people receive mercy, then quickly abandon the Lord and repeat their sins. Their unkindness to Gideon’s house was part of that larger cycle of unfaithfulness.

Biblical connections

The next chapter shows the tragic result of this neglect. In Judges 9, Abimelech, Gideon’s son by a concubine, murders seventy of his half-brothers. The cruelty that began with Israel’s ingratitude leads to violence within Gideon’s own family. This connection shows that failing to honor a servant of God can have serious consequences.

This verse also points forward to the need for a perfect deliverer. Human judges, however faithful, are soon forgotten. Israel’s failure to honor Gideon reminds us that only the Lord remains faithful to His people. He does not forget their works, and He alone can break the cycle of sin and ingratitude.

Application

We can learn to practice gratitude as a deliberate habit. Remember the people God has used to teach, protect, or encourage you, and find ways to honor them while they are still with you. Do not wait until it is too late.

We must also guard against spiritual forgetfulness. When life becomes comfortable, it is easy to stop thanking God and those who served us. A simple practice is to name specific blessings each day and to acknowledge the people behind them. This keeps the heart tender and loyal.

Reflection

Israel’s ingratitude stands as a warning, but it also invites us to examine our own hearts. Have we received kindness and then failed to show it? Have we forgotten the Lord who delivered us? Let us ask God to make us people who remember His goodness and who honor those He sends to help us.