Judges 8:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Is not the gleaning, &c.— The Ephraimites, displeased that they had not been called to share the glory of this enterprise with their brethren of the tribe of Manasseh, to whom they judged themselves superior, sharply expostulate with Gideon upon the occasion. He gives them a soft and gentle answer, which had the due effect, abating their anger towards him, Judges 8:3. (See Proverbs 15:1.) He magnifies their service, as greatly superior to his own; disarming their insolence by his humility; their anger by his meekness; a singular instance of modesty and prudence in a man of Gideon's carriage. See chap. 12: The words, Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim, &c. mean, that what the tribe of Ephraim had, as it were, gleaned and picked up after the victory, particularly their capture of Oreb and Zeeb, was far more than all which Gideon and his host had done. Abiezer was the chief of the family from which Gideon descended. See ch. Judges 6:11.Joshua 17:2.