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

1
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. ​
2
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. ​
3
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4
And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. ​
5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. ​

The Lord Sends a Prophet

7
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
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That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; ​
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And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10
And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. ​

The Angel Appears to Gideon

11
And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. ​
12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. ​
13
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. ​
14
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? ​
15
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. ​
16
And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
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And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
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Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20
And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21
Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. ​
22
And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. ​
23
And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ​

Gideon Destroys Baal's Altar

25
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: ​
26
And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. ​
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And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29
And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
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Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
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And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. ​
32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. ​

Gideon Seeks Confirmation

33
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. ​
34
But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. ​
35
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, ​
37
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. ​
38
And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39
And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. ​
40
And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all 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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