שופטים, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ״ח

A decisive military victory can completely erase a looming threat, ushering in a long era of national stability. Following the great battle, the defeat of the Midianites was so absolute that their power was entirely broken [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Forced into deep submission, they lived with bowed heads, stripped of their former arrogance [מצודת דוד]. In practical terms, this meant they completely stopped their attacks and never again invaded the territories of the Israelite tribes [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This overwhelming victory secured forty years of peace for the land. There are two ways to calculate this era. The primary approach among commentators suggests that this forty-year span actually begins from the start of the Midianite oppression, meaning it includes the seven years of suffering that preceded the rescue [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Another perspective, however, argues that these forty years of tranquility stand entirely on their own, completely separate from the prior years of hardship [רלב״ג].

The absolute quiet and lack of warfare allowed Gideon to return to his home and live out his days in peace [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. Even though he never officially accepted the title of judge or public leader, choosing instead to remain in his private residence, the nation enjoyed uninterrupted peace entirely because of his merit [חומת אנך]. However, this profound calm was completely dependent on Gideon himself. It was tied exclusively to his lifespan, and the moment he passed away, the peace immediately vanished from the land [רלב״ג].