Judges 8:27

8:27 Gideon used all this to make51 an ephod,52 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites53 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it54 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

51	tn Heb “made it into.”
52	sn In Exod 28:4–6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70–75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236–43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349–52.
53	tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
54	tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.