1 The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian
8 A prophet rebukes them
11 An angel send Gideon for their deliverance
17 Gideon's present is consumed with fire
24 Gideon destroys Baal's altar, and offers a sacrifice upon the altar Jehovah-shalom
28 Joash defends his son, and call shim Jerubbaal
33 Gideon's army
36 Gideon's signs

did evil Jud 2:13,14,19,20 Le 26:14 De 28:15 Ne 9:26-29 Ps 106:34-42

delivered. When God judges, he will overcome; and sinners shall be made either to bend or break before him. Midian Ge 25:2 Nu 25:17,18 Hab 3:7

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.

the hand Le 16:17 De 28:47,48

prevailed. Heb. was strong. dens. Dr. Shaw says, that a great way on each side Joppa, on the sea coast, there is a range of mountains and precipices; and in these high situations are generally found the dens, holes, or caves, which are so frequently mentioned in Scripture; and which were formerly the lonesome retreats of the distressed Israelites. 1Sa 13:6 14:11 Heb 11:38 Re 6:15

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;

when Israel Le 26:16 De 28:30-33,51 Job 31:8 Isa 65:21,22 Mic 6:15

Amalekites Jud 3:13

children Jud 6:33 7:12 8:10 Ge 29:1 1Ki 4:30 Job 1:3

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.

destroyed Le 26:16 De 28:30,33,51 Mic 6:15

till thou come. The Midianites dwelt beyond the eastern borders of the land of Canaan, east of the Dead Sea, and Gaza was on the Mediterranean, on the west; so that these invaders ravaged the whole breadth of the land. Ge 10:19 13:10

left no Pr 28:3 Jer 49:9,10 Ob 1:5

sheep or goat

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.

tents So 1:5 Isa 13:20

as grasshoppers Jud 7:12 8:10 Jer 46:23

their camels Jud 8:21 1Sa 30:17 Isa 60:6 Jer 49:29,32

to destroy Ps 83:4-12

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

impoverished Ps 106:43 Jer 5:17 Mal 1:4

cried Jud 3:9,15 Ps 50:15 78:34 106:44 Isa 26:16 Ho 5:15

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 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;

AM 2759 BC 1245. An.Ex.Is.246. a prophet. Heb. a man, a prophet. Thus saith Jud 2:1-3 Ne 9:9-12 Ps 136:10-16 Isa 63:9-14 Eze 20:5

9 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;

drave them Ps 44:2,3

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.

I am the Ex 20:2,3

fear not 2Ki 17:33,35-39 Jer 10:2

ye have Jud 2:2 Pr 5:13 Jer 3:13,25 9:13 42:21 43:4,7 Zep 3:2 Ro 10:16 Heb 5:9

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.

an angel Jud 6:14-16 2:1-5 5:23 13:3,18-20 Ge 48:16 Jos 18:23 Isa 63:9

Abi-ezrite. Jud 8:2 Jos 17:2

Gideon. Heb 11:32

hide it. Heb. cause it to flee

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

the angel Jud 13:3 Lu 1:11,28

the Lord Jud 2:18 Ex 3:12 Jos 1:5,9 Ru 2:4 Mt 1:23 28:20 Lu 1:28 Ac 18:9,10

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.

if the Lord Ge 25:22 Ex 33:14-16 Nu 14:14,15 Ro 8:31

why then De 29:24 30:17,18 Ps 77:7-9 89:49 Isa 59:1,2 63:15

our fathers Ps 44:1 78:3,4

forsaken us De 31:17 2Ch 15:2 Ps 27:9 Isa 41:17 Jer 23:33

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?

the Lord Jud 6:11

go in Jud 4:6 Jos 1:5-9 1Sa 12:11 1Ch 14:9,10 Heb 11:32,34

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.

wherewith Ex 3:11 4:10 Jer 1:6 Lu 1:34

my family is poor. Heb. my thousand is the meanest Ex 18:21-25 1Sa 9:21 18:23 Mic 5:2

the least Ge 32:10 Jer 50:45 1Co 15:9 Eph 3:8

16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

Jud 6:12 Ex 3:12 Jos 1:5 Isa 41:10,14-16 Mt 28:20 Mr 16:20 Ac 11:21

17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.

if now Ex 33:13,16

shew Jud 6:36-40 Ge 15:8-17 Ex 4:1-9 2Ki 20:8-11 Ps 86:17 Isa 7:11

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.

bring Jud 13:15 Ge 18:3,5 19:3

present or meat offering

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.

and made. Dr. Shaw observes, 'Besides a bowl of milk, and a basket of figs, raisins, or dates, which upon our arrival were presented to us, to stay our appetite, the master of the tent fetched us from his flock, according to the number of our company, a kid or a goat, a lamb or a sheep; half of which was immediately seethed by his wife, and served up with cucasoe; the rest was made kab-ab, i.e. cut to pieces and roasted, which we reserved for our breakfast or dinner next day.' May we not suppose, says Mr. Harmer, that Gideon presented some slight refreshment to the supposed prophet, according to the present Arab mode, and described him to stay till he could provide something more substantial; that he immediately killed a kid, seethed a part of it, and when ready brought the stewed meat in a pot, with unleavened cakes of bread, which he had baked; and the other part, the kab-ab, in a basket for him to carry with him, for some after repast in his journey? Jud 13:15-19 Ge 18:6-8

a kid. Heb. a kid of the goats. unleavened cakes Le 2:4

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.

lay them Jud 13:19

pour out 1Ki 18:33,34

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.

rose up Jud 13:20 Le 9:24 1Ki 18:38 1Ch 21:26 2Ch 7:1

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.

perceived Jud 13:21

because Jud 13:22,23 Ge 16:13 32:30 Ex 33:20 De 5:5,24,26 Isa 6:5-8 Joh 1:18 12:41

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

peace be Ge 32:30 43:23 Ps 85:8 Da 10:19 Joh 14:27 20:19,26 Ro 1:7

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.

built Jud 21:4 Ge 33:20 Jos 22:10,26-28

Jehovah-shalom. that is. The Lord send peace Ge 22:14 Ex 17:15 Jer 23:6 33:16 Eze 48:35

Ophrah Jud 8:32

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:

take thy father's Ge 35:2 Job 22:23 Ps 101:2

even or and throw 1Ki 18:21 Mt 6:24 2Co 6:15-17

they father Mt 10:37 Ac 4:19 5:29

cut down Jud 3:7 Ex 34:13 De 7:5

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.

build 2Sa 24:18

rock. Heb. strong place. the ordered place, or an orderly manner 1Co 14:33,40

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.

and did De 4:1 Mt 16:24 Joh 2:5 15:14 Ga 1:6 1Th 2:4

he did it Ps 112:5 Joh 3:2

28 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 inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30 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.

bring Jer 26:11 50:38 Joh 16:2 Ac 26:9 Php 3:6

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.

will ye plead. The words are very emphatic: 'Will ye plead in earnest for Baal? Will ye really save him? If he be God, let him contend for himself, seeing his altar is thrown down.' Ex 23:2 Nu 14:6 Eph 5:11

let him be De 13:5 17:2-7 1Ki 18:40

if he be 1Ki 18:27,29 Ps 115:4-7 Isa 41:23 46:1,7 Jer 10:5,11 1Co 8:4

32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Jerubbaal. that is, Let Baal plead 1Sa 12:11 2Sa 11:21

Jerubbesheth: that is, Let the shameful thing plead Jer 11:13 Ho 9:10

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.

then all Ps 3:1 27:2,3 118:10-12 Isa 8:9,10 Ro 8:35-39

children Jud 6:3 8:10,11 1Ch 5:19 Job 1:3

went over Jud 7:24 Jos 3:16

the valley Jos 17:16 19:18 1Ki 18:45 21:1

34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.

the Spirit Jud 3:10 13:25 14:19 15:14 1Sa 10:6 11:6 16:14 1Ch 12:18 2Ch 24:20 Ps 51:11 1Co 12:8-11

came upon. Heb. clothed Ro 13:14 Ga 3:27

blew Jud 3:27 Nu 10:3

Abi-ezer Jud 6:11 8:2 Jos 17:2

was gathered. Heb. was called

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.

messengers 2Ch 30:6-12

36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

if thou wilt Jud 6:14,17-20 Ex 4:1-9 2Ki 20:9 Ps 103:13,14 Mt 16:1

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.

behold De 32:2 Ps 72:6 Ho 6:3,4 14:5

only Ps 147:19,20 Mt 10:5,6 15:24

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.

a bowl Isa 35:7

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.

let not thine Ge 18:32

dry Ps 107:33-35 Isa 35:6,7 43:19,20 50:2 Mt 8:12 21:43 Ac 13:46 22:21 28:28 Ro 11:12-22

40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.