After reading chapter 8:
*For some reason, the Ephraimites took offense that Gideon had not asked for their help when he originally went to fight the Midianites. Even so, they had come to Gideon's aid and helped capture two of the Midianite leaders. Pursuing the rest of the Midianites, Gideon and his men crossed the Jordan after two more rulers of Midian. They asked a couple of different cities for food, but were rejected. Gideon cursed those cities.
*There were 15,000 men left of the remnants of the eastern armies. 120,000 had been killed in battle. Gideon and his 300 men (amazingly, none dead) routed the remaining Midianites and captured the leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna. Then Gideon went to the towns of Succoth and Peniel, who had rejected his plea for food. He punished the elders of Succoth with desert thorns and briars, tore down the tower of Peniel, and killed the men of the town. Questioning Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon found out they had killed his brothers. He ordered his son to kill them, but being just a boy, he wouldn't. Zebah and Zalmunna dared him to do it himself and he did.
*The Israelites asked Gideon to be their king. He refused, saying Yahweh should rule over them. However, he asked each of them to give him one gold earring from their plunder. The earrings had a total weight of about 43 pounds. Gideon made the gold into an ephod. It was taken to Gideon's town of Ophrah and eventually worshipped. The land had rest for another forty magical years. Gideon went back home and had 70 sons by his many wives and concubines. (Seventy being another special number usually referring to large assemblies.) After Gideon died the Israelites began worshipping Baal-Berith and forgot about Yahweh and the heroic deeds of Gideon.
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