Judges 6:1-32

Judges 6:1-32

[1] And the children  of Israel  did  evil  in the sight  of 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  [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.  [7] And it came to pass, when the children  of Israel  cried  unto the LORD  because  of the Midianites,  [8] That the LORD  sent  a prophet  unto the children  of Israel,  which said  the LORD  God  of Israel,  I brought you up  from Egypt,  and brought you forth  out of the house  of bondage;  [9] And I delivered  you 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.  [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,  in this thy might,  and thou shalt save  Israel  from the hand  of the Midianites:  have not I sent  [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.  [17] And he said  unto him, If now I have found  grace  in thy sight,  then shew  me a sign  that thou talkest  with me. [18] 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  [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  [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  unto this day  it is yet in Ophrah  of the Abiezrites.  [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  of his servants,  and did  as the LORD  had said  unto him: and so it was, because he feared  his father's  household,  of the city,  that he could not do  it by day,  that he did  it by night.  [28] 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.  [30] 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  [31] 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. 

What does Judges 6:1-32 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Paul Tanner pointed out that the Gideon narrative consists of five primary structural sections.
"The first section ( Judges 6:1-10) provides the introduction and setting before Gideon"s debut, the second section ( Judges 6:11-32) gives the commissioning of Gideon as deliverer of Israel, the third section ( Judges 6:33 to Judges 7:18) presents the preparation for the battle, the fourth section ( Judges 7:19 to Judges 8:21) recounts the defeat of the Midianite army, and the fifth section ( Judges 8:22-32) records the conclusion to Gideon"s life after the victory over Midian. Yet thematic parallels exist between the first and fifth sections and between the second and fourth sections, thus giving the whole narrative a symmetrical pattern:
A6:1-10B6:11-32C6:33-7:18B"7:19-8:21A"8:22-32" [1]
Other scholars divide the Gideon narrative into three parts: God"s punishment and deliverance of Israel ( Judges 6:1 to Judges 8:3), Gideon"s punishment and subjugation of Israel ( Judges 8:4-28), and Gideon"s legacy ( Judges 8:29 to Judges 9:57). [2]
"The history of Gideon and his family is related very fully, because the working of the grace and righteousness of the faithful covenant God was so obviously displayed therein, that it contained a rich treasure of instruction and warning for the church of the Lord in all ages." [3]