Verse 6:[1] And the princes of Succoth said, (see 1 Kings 20:11) Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that (see 1 Sam. 25:11) we should give bread unto thine army?
[They answered, etc., וַ֙יֹּאמֶר֙ שָׂרֵ֣י סֻכּ֔וֹת] Verbatim: And he, that is, the princes of Succoth, said[2] (Montanus). That of the princes said, understanding, the rank (Junius and Tremellius), or, one (Pagnine, Vatablus) (namely, having been commissioned in the name of the rest [Montanus’ Commentary]), or, each one (Piscator); or, it is a singular in the place of a plural (certain interpreters in Vatablus). And they said, or answered (Septuagint, Jonathan, Syriac, Arabic). The individual princes said; so that the syntax might be distributive, a thing common among the Hebrews, of which sort in verse 22[3] (Piscator). This passage is one of those twelve that are thought falsely to be read וַיֹּאמְרוּ, and they said (Drusius).
[Perhaps the palms, etc., הֲכַף—עַתָּה] Is the palm, or, hand, or, hollow, of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand? (Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, Septuagint), that is, Hast thou seized them? In the Hebrew, it is hollow: because by the hollow is one seized that is led captive (Piscator). Art thou leading them captive, with their hands bound behind their backs (Lapide)? As if Zebah, etc., were delivered into thine hand (Jonathan). Do you then have Zebah, etc., bound in thy hands? (Arabic). Thus they ridicule his plan, who with a small company (three hundred) would pursue a much more numerous (fifteen thousand) (Junius). That is to say, Thou appearest to speak as if thou hadst now emerged victorious: Thou hast not yet conquered those Kings, that thou mightest dare to ask bread from us (Vatablus).
Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, etc.: Art thou so foolish to think, with thy three hundred faint and weary soldiers, to conquer and destroy a host of fifteen thousand men?
[1] Hebrew: וַ֙יֹּאמֶר֙ שָׂרֵ֣י סֻכּ֔וֹת הֲ֠כַף זֶ֧בַח וְצַלְמֻנָּ֛ע עַתָּ֖ה בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־נִתֵּ֥ן לִֽצְבָאֲךָ֖ לָֽחֶם׃
[2] In Hebrew, the verb is singular, but the subject is plural.
[3] Judges 8:22: “Then said (וַיֹּאמְרוּ, singular verb) the men of Israel (אִישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל, plural subject) unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
Matthew Henry: '[T]he princes of Succoth neither feared God nor regarded man. For, (1.) In contempt of God, they refused to answer the just demands of him whom God had raised up to save them, affronted him, bantered him, despised the success he had already been honoured with, despaired of the success of his present undertaking, did what they could to discourage him in prosecuting the war, and were very willing to believe that the remaining forces of Midian, which they had now seen march through their country, would be too hard for him: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand? "No, nor ever will be," so they conclude, judging by the disproportion of numbers. (2.…