Judges6

The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, leading to seven years of severe oppression by the Midianites, who destroyed their sustenance. When Israel cried unto the LORD, an Angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, commissioning him to deliver Israel despite his initial doubts. Gideon then destroyed his father's altar to Baal and the associated grove, and subsequently sought two miraculous signs involving a fleece to confirm God's will.
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Israel Oppressed by Midian

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Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, ​
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and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. ​
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Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
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encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys. ​
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For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
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Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD. ​

The Lord Sends a Prophet

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Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
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He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ​
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I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
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And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.” ​

The Angel Appears to Gideon

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Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. ​
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And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” ​
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“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.” ​
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The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?” ​
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“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” ​
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“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
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Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
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Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
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So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
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And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
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Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. ​
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When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” ​
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But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
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So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ​

Gideon Destroys Baal's Altar

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On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. ​
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Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
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So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime. ​
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When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
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“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
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Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
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But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.” ​
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So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar. ​

Gideon Seeks Confirmation

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Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. ​
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So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him. ​
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Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
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Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, ​
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then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” ​
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And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
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Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.” ​
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And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.

Study Notes for Judges 6

Verse 1

This verse initiates the fourth major cycle of sin and judgment in the book of Judges. The seven years of oppression (the longest recorded period of servitude so far) indicates the severity of Israel’s apostasy.

Verse 2

The Israelites were driven out of their homes and forced to live in natural and man-made strongholds in the mountains. This paints a picture of extreme degradation and fear, typical of a subjugated people.

Verse 4

The Midianites acted as seasonal raiders, timing their invasions to destroy the harvest and livestock, thereby crippling Israelite society economically and ensuring dependency.

Verse 6

Impoverishment finally drives Israel to repentance. The cycle of the judges always begins with the people 'crying out' (Hebrew: *za'aq*) to the Lord for rescue.

Verse 8

Before delivering a savior (judge), the Lord sends a prophet to address the root cause: spiritual failure. The prophet reminds them of God’s history of redemption (Exodus) and their covenant obligations.

Verse 10

The core sin was syncretism—worshiping the local Canaanite deities (the gods of the Amorites, specifically Baal) alongside Yahweh, a direct violation of the first commandment.

Verse 11

Gideon is introduced threshing wheat secretly in a winepress (a sunken stone vat), a location completely unsuitable for the task, illustrating his fear of the Midianite raiders.

Verse 12

The 'Angel of the LORD' (*mal'akh Yahweh*) is often interpreted as a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ). The greeting, 'mighty man of valour,' is ironic given Gideon’s hidden activity.

Verse 13

Gideon’s response reflects the theological crisis of the era: if God is sovereign, why has He abandoned His people? He focuses on God’s past miracles versus their present suffering.

Verse 14

The Lord commissions Gideon not based on Gideon’s military prowess or status, but purely on divine appointment: “Have not I sent thee?”

Verse 15

Gideon expresses profound insecurity, claiming the weakest position within his clan and tribe. This pattern of God choosing the marginalized highlights that salvation comes through divine power, not human strength.

Verse 21

The fire consuming the offering demonstrates the divine acceptance of the sacrifice and confirms the identity of the messenger, paralleling the acceptance of priestly offerings (Lev. 9:24).

Verse 22

The ancient belief was that seeing God or His angel face-to-face resulted in death (cf. Exod. 33:20). Gideon’s fear is rooted in traditional reverence.

Verse 24

Gideon names the altar *Jehovah-shalom* ('The LORD is Peace'). This signifies that true peace (*shalom*) is found in the presence of God, who overcomes human fear and threat of death.

Verse 25

Gideon’s first act of deliverance is spiritual: destroying the altar of the fertility god Baal in his own family. The seven-year-old bullock may symbolize the seven years of Midianite oppression.

Verse 27

Gideon’s fear of his own community shows that the spiritual battle against idolatry was deeply personal and dangerous, requiring him to operate under the cover of night.

Verse 31

Joash, Gideon’s father, defends his son by challenging the power of Baal. He argues that if Baal is a true god, he must be able to defend his own altar, marking a powerful shift away from idolatry.

Verse 32

Gideon is given the nickname *Jerubbaal*, meaning 'Let Baal contend/strive.' This name serves as a permanent memorial of his confrontation with the local deity.

Verse 33

The enemy forces gather in the Jezreel Valley, the traditional battlefield of Israel, setting the stage for the upcoming confrontation.

Verse 34

The statement 'the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon' is key to the Judges narrative, indicating divine empowerment that transforms the fearful farmer into a charismatic military leader.

Verse 36

Despite the angelic commission (v. 14) and the empowerment of the Spirit (v. 34), Gideon still seeks tangible, physical reassurance, revealing his persistent insecurity.

Verse 37

The sign of the fleece is a test of God's faithfulness, using an unnatural meteorological event. Gideon asks for the impossible, demonstrating his weak faith but sincere desire for confirmation.

Verse 39

Gideon requests the test be reversed (dry fleece, wet ground), eliminating the possibility of coincidence or natural explanation. God graciously complies, demonstrating patience with Gideon's doubt.

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