1. Judges 8:2 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What actually makes Gideon’s question arrogant, in light of what follows?

Judges 8:2 (ESV)

2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

Gideon is basically telling the Ephraimites that their gleanings, their killing of Oreb and Zeeb, were of greater glory than the vintage, the harvest itself—the routing of the camp by Gideon’s forces. That is, Gideon thinks that the routing of the Midianite camp—actually accomplished solely by the Lord—is of less value than the capture of Midian’s leaders by the Ephraimites. God got the vintage, the Ephraimites got the gleanings, of greater value; Gideon himself was planning to get the highest honour and greatest glory in the battle, by killing the kings of Midian.1