שופטים, פרק ח׳, פסוק ט״ו

After completing his military mission, Gideon brings his campaign full circle by returning to the people of Succoth. He does not come back empty-handed. Instead, he presents Zebah and Zalmunna, the captured kings of Midian, as undeniable proof of his victory.

This confrontation serves as a direct response to the disrespect the people of Succoth had shown him earlier in his journey. When Gideon first passed through their land, they deeply doubted his ability to capture the enemy leaders. To make his point clear, Gideon repeats the exact words they had used to mock him. During that initial encounter, the people of Succoth had refused to provide bread to his exhausted men, using the excuse that the Midianite kings were not yet in his power. Now, with the captured kings standing right before them, Gideon forces the townspeople to face the reality of their earlier refusal.