Judges 8:23

The Lord shall rule. Gideon refused the offer of hereditary kingship. He recognized that his accomplishments were due solely to the power of God working in his behalf. He had been called of God to perform a special service for the nation, and he had accomplished it. God had not called him to become a monarch. He knew that his children would not be able to lead the nation unless God individually called them. But God’s call is not extended by virtue of family relationship. The weakness of hereditary rulership lies in this fact. Often the lineal descendant is a person wholly unsuited for the work.

The nobility of Gideon was shown in his rejection of the kingship. This offer must have presented a temptation to him. It often requires more strength to resist the allurements of proffered power than to defeat an enemy. But Gideon at that moment stood true to God, and his words worthily crowned his heroic deeds.