Cross Reference JUDGES 8:16 AND HE TOOK THE ELDERS OF THE CITY AND THORNS OF THE WILDERNESS AND BRIERS AND WITH THEM HE TAUGHT THE MEN OF SUCCOTH

{Judges 8:16} And he took 3947 z8799 x853 the elders 2205 of the city, 5892 and thorns 6975 of the wilderness 4057 and briers, 1303 and with them he taught 3045 z8686 x853 the men y582 x376 of Succoth. 5523

the elders:
"And Gideonª said,ª ° Therefore¹ when the LORDª hath deliveredª °¹ Zebahª and Zalmunnaª into mine hand,ª then I will tearª °¹ your fleshª with¹ the thornsª of the wildernessª and with¹ briers.ª" {Jdg 8:7} + "In the lipsª of him that hath understandingª ° wisdomª is found:ª ° but a rodª [is] for the backª of him that is voidª of understanding.ª" {Prv 10:13} + "Judgmentsª are preparedª ° for scorners,ª ° and stripesª for the backª of fools.ª" {Prv 19:29} + "The childrenª of Pahathmoab,ª of the childrenª of Jeshuaª [and] Joab,ª two thousandª eightª hundredª and twelve.ª ª" {Ezr 2:6}

thorns:
"The bestª of them [is] as a brier:ª the most uprightª [is sharper] than a thorn hedge:ª ¹ the dayª of thy watchmenª ° [and] thy visitationª cometh;ª ° now¹ shall be¹ their perplexity.ª" {Mic 7:4}

taught:
Heb. made to know, Instead of wyyoda, Houbigant, Lev. Clerc, and others read wyyadosh, "and he tore or threshed;" and this is not only agreeable to what Gideon threatened ("And Gideonª said,ª ° Therefore¹ when the LORDª hath deliveredª °¹ Zebahª and Zalmunnaª into mine hand,ª then I will tearª °¹ your fleshª with¹ the thornsª of the wildernessª and with¹ briers.ª" {Jdg 8:7}), but is supported by the LXX Vulgate, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew Text might easily have been corrupted simply by the change of שׁ, shin, into ע, ayin, letters very similar to each other.