Judges 6

Judges 6 is the first chapter of the Gideon narrative, which continues through chapter 8. Judges 5 ends with the statement that after Deborah's victory the land had rest forty years. Chapter 6 reopens the cycle of sin, oppression, crying out, and deliverance, as Israel "again" does evil.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 When Israel does evil, the LORD delivers them into the hand of Midian for seven years. At every sowing season the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east swarm in like grasshoppers, destroying the produce and livestock as far as Gaza. The Israelites take refuge in mountain caves and strongholds, and they cry out to the LORD.
• Verses 7–10 The LORD sends an unnamed prophet. The prophet reminds Israel of the deliverance of the Exodus and rebukes them for not heeding the command not to fear the gods of the Amorites.
• Verses 11–24 The angel of the LORD appears under the oak in Ophrah while Gideon is threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. The angel addresses Gideon as a "mighty man of valour" and sends him forth. When Gideon protests that his family is weak and asks for a sign, fire rises from the rock and consumes a young goat and unleavened cakes. Gideon builds an altar there and names it "Jehovah-shalom."
• Verses 25–32 That night Gideon, with ten of his servants, throws down his father's altar of Baal and cuts down the Asherah image. He then offers the second bullock, seven years old, as a burnt offering on a new altar. When the men of the city seek to kill Gideon, his father Joash stands against them, declaring that if Baal is a god, let him contend for himself. As a result, Gideon comes to be called "Jerubbaal."
• Verses 33–35 The Midianite coalition crosses the Jordan and encamps in the Valley of Jezreel. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Gideon, and he blows a trumpet. The Abiezrites rally to him, along with the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali.
• Verses 36–40 Gideon twice seeks a sign with a fleece. First he asks that dew be on the fleece only, and then that the fleece alone be dry; both times it happens as he asked.

Key Verses

• Judges 6:12 "The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." Here God calls a man who had been working in hiding out of fear.
• Judges 6:16 "Surely I will be with thee." God answers Gideon's plea of weakness with the promise of His presence.
• Judges 6:24 "And called it Jehovahshalom." The name, meaning "the LORD is peace," is frequently cited as one of the names of God.

Characters and Places

• Gideon: Son of Joash the Abiezrite, of the tribe of Manasseh.
• Joash: Gideon's father, in whose household stood an altar of Baal. He is not the same person as the king of Israel of that name.
• The angel of the LORD: The messenger of God who calls Gideon.
• Ophrah: A town belonging to the Abiezrites and Gideon's hometown.
• Valley of Jezreel: The place where the Midianite coalition encamped.
• Gaza: A town on the southwestern Mediterranean coast; its mention shows how far the raids extended.

Points for Reflection

• The identity of the angel of the LORD: The text alternates between "the angel of the LORD" and "the LORD" (verses 14 and 16). For this reason, some Reformed and evangelical interpreters regard this angel as a preincarnate appearance of Christ. Others understand him as an angel acting as God's representative.
• The fleece test: It is often preached as a model for discerning God's will. Other interpreters, however, read it as a weakness of faith, since Gideon sought a further sign even though God had already spoken ("as thou hast said," verse 36), and they emphasize God's patience in answering him nonetheless.
• Connection to the New Testament: Hebrews 11:32 names Gideon among the people of faith.

In the Korean Church

• The Gideon narrative, together with the account of the three hundred men in the following chapter, is frequently treated in sermons and Sunday school lessons.
• The expression "putting out a fleece" is used among church members to describe prayerfully seeking confirmation of God's will.
• Gideons International, which distributes Bibles to hotels, hospitals, and other places, is known to take its name from Gideon.