Judges 8:1
And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
This verse belongs to Israel's repeated cycle of backsliding and deliverance, in which sin left them unable to prevail against their enemies, God raised up faithful and valiant leaders to put down idolatry and deliver them, and the people often returned to their idols after the deliverer died.
It records the men of Ephraim sharply and angrily reproaching Gideon for not summoning them earlier to fight the Midianites. They had stayed back and refused to join when the undertaking seemed dangerous and risky. After Gideon sent for them to block the Jordan crossings, they helped finish the victory by capturing the fords and capturing and killing two Midianite princes. They returned from the Jordan with the captured princes, yet even after helping finish the victory they remained angry and envious that they had not shared in it from the first, showing jealousy, discontent, and desire for honor.
Their complaint showed that they failed to recognize God's hand and mercy in Israel's deliverance. They were inclined to seek the honor for themselves and to accuse Gideon instead of recognizing his service, which made them unfit to serve as God's instruments in that battle. Their sharp words risked turning victory into division, quarrel, violence, and bloodshed.
Gideon answered them modestly and with restraint, crediting and praising their contribution, and so soothed their anger and turned it away so that quarrel and bloodshed were avoided.