He captured a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all.

The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your army?”

He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had.

He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them.

He said to the men of Succoth, “Give some loaves of bread to the men who are following me, because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’”