This document is about Penuel (place name). For other homonyms, please refer to the Penuel document.
A city that the judge Gideon passed through when he defeated the Midianite army and pursued them as they fled.
Gideon first passed through Succoth and asked for food to feed his army, but the residents there refused. Later, when he passed through Penuel, he requested the same support, but the residents there also refused his request.
Afterward, Gideon, harboring resentment, returned victorious from the war, destroyed the tower in this area, and massacred its inhabitants.
Judges 8:4Gideon and the three hundred men with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, exhausted yet pursuing.Judges 8:5He said to the people of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”Judges 8:6But the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”GideonJudges 8:7said, “Therefore, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”Judges 8:8From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request of them, but the people of Penuel answered him as the people of Succoth had answered.Judges 8:9So Gideon said to the people of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”
Judges 8:17He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
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Afterward, there are no other specific records until the time of Jeroboam I, when it is recorded that this area was rebuilt.
1 Kings 12:25Jeroboam then built up Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.