The story continues with a conversation between Gideon and the two kings of Midian: Zebah and Zalmunna. This conversation reveals that these kings killed Gideon’s brothers, something not previously described in the story.
Judges 8
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What were the men you killed at Tabor like? They said, ‘They were as one, as you were, like the form of the king’s sons.'”
19 Then he said, “They were my brothers, sons of my mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not have killed you.”
20 Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up, kill them.” But the boy did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, for he was only a boy.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up, and come to us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent moons that were on their camels’ necks.
brothers according to the flesh
Zebah and Zalmunna killed some men, and Gideon asks what kind of men they were. Their answer reveals that they resembled Gideon and had a royal appearance. Gideon concludes from this that these are his brothers. It is a picture of “the brothers according to the flesh” of Christ, the believers from the Jewish people (Ex. 19:6), who perish in battle.
the remnant
Jether means remnant. It is the term for the remaining faithful part of Israel (Ezek. 34:18; Zeph. 2:9), and Jether is a type of that. Gideon wants to give him the glory of victory and orders Jether to kill the kings, but Jether is unable to do so. Then Zebah and Zalmunna challenge Gideon, saying: “As the man is, so is his power.” It was probably a well-known expression and means something like: show who you are by your own actions, be a man.
The victory complete
Gideon rises, the seventh and final time this word appears in Gideon’s story. As a representation of the resurrected Christ, he puts an end to their dominion and enmity. We also read that he takes away the crescent moons from them. These crescent moons served not only as decoration or status symbols but also had religious significance. We encounter them again later (v. 26). Gideon foreshadows Christ and His complete victory over all human dominion and religion.