Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Judges 6
Judges 6:12And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor."
The Angel of the Lord calls Gideon a 'mighty man of valor' while he is hiding, showing that God sees our potential rather than only our present circumstances.Judges 6:15-16And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Gideon expresses his deep insecurity, but God's response is not to build up Gideon's self-esteem but to promise His own presence, which is the true source of strength.Judges 6:34But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.
This verse marks a turning point where, despite Gideon's lingering fears, the Spirit of God empowers him for leadership, signaling the beginning of Israel's deliverance.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Nation Brought Low by Disobedience
The chapter opens on a nation in hiding. After turning from God, Israel has been subjected to seven years of devastating raids by the Midianites. The oppression is so severe that the Israelites have abandoned their homes for mountain caves, and the enemy strips the land of every crop and animal. This backdrop of complete desperation and poverty is the reason they finally cry out to the Lord for help, setting the stage for God's intervention.
An Unlikely Hero Gets a Divine Commission
God's response begins not with an army, but with a conversation. He sends the Angel of the Lord to find Gideon, who is secretly threshing wheat in a winepress to avoid being discovered. This encounter highlights the central tension of the story: God's powerful call to a man paralyzed by fear. Gideon is full of questions, pointing to the suffering around him as evidence that God has abandoned Israel, yet God sees in him a future deliverer.
The Calling of a Reluctant Deliverer
The story unfolds in the tribal territory of Manasseh, where Israel is suffering under Midianite oppression. In verses 1-10, we see the consequences of Israel's sin and hear a prophet's rebuke. The scene then shifts in verse 11 to a specific, hidden place - a winepress - where God's messenger confronts a fearful farmer named Gideon with an impossible task.
Israel's Cry and God's Rebuke (Judges 6:1-10)
1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 and the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number - both they and their camels could not be counted - so that they laid waste the land as they came in.
6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.
7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites,
8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage.
9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”
Commentary:
After seven years of oppression due to their sin, Israel cries out, and God sends a prophet to remind them why they are suffering.
The Call of Gideon (Judges 6:11-24)
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor."
13 And Gideon said to him, "Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian."
14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
17 And he said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.
18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”
19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.
20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.
Commentary:
The Angel of the Lord calls a fearful, hiding Gideon to deliver Israel, answering his doubt with a promise of God's presence and a miraculous sign.
Tearing Down the Altar of Baal (Judges 6:25-32)
25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it.
26 And build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down."
27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.
28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.
29 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down."
30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it."
31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down."
32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.
Commentary:
Gideon's first act of obedience is to destroy his family's idol altar by night, an act which earns him a new name and an unexpected defense from his father.
The Fleece and the Final Confirmation (Judges 6:33-40)
33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. Then he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.
36 Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said,
37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said."
38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.”
40 So God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
Commentary:
Empowered by God's Spirit to gather an army, a still-hesitant Gideon asks for two signs with a fleece to confirm God's call, and God patiently grants his request.
Core Truths in Gideon's Story
God's Power in Human Weakness
Gideon saw himself as the least important person from the weakest family. Yet God called him a 'mighty man of valor.' This story powerfully illustrates that God's criteria for choosing leaders are not based on human strength, status, or confidence, but on His own power working through a willing person.
The Priority of Spiritual Purity
Before Gideon could fight Israel's external enemies, he had to deal with the spiritual corruption at home. Tearing down the altar of Baal was a declaration that his, and Israel's, ultimate allegiance must be to the Lord alone. It teaches that victory over external battles often begins with winning the internal battle for worship.
God's Patience with Honest Doubt
Gideon is not a model of unwavering faith. He is full of questions, objections, and requests for signs. Instead of rebuking him, God patiently provides the reassurance Gideon needs to move forward. This shows that God is approachable and willing to meet us in our moments of uncertainty to build our trust in Him.
Applying Gideon's Journey to Your Life
Judges 6 shows that God sees you based on your potential in Him, not your current limitations. He called Gideon a 'mighty man of valor' while he was hiding in fear (Judges 6:12). In the same way, God sees what you can become through His strength and calls you to live up to that identity, regardless of how you feel.
An 'altar' is anything that competes with God for your ultimate trust and worship, whether it's security, approval from others, or personal ambition. Gideon's first act of obedience was to tear down a literal altar (Judges 6:25). This challenges you to consider what hidden loyalties or priorities you need to address to give God first place in your life.
Gideon's story gives a resounding 'yes.' He questioned God's presence (Judges 6:13) and repeatedly tested Him for reassurance (Judges 6:36-40). God responded not with anger, but with patience and confirmation. This encourages you to bring your honest doubts to God, trusting that He is big enough to handle them and faithful enough to guide you through them.
God's Strength in Our Weakness
Judges 6 reveals God's strong tendency to work through human weakness. He finds His people at their lowest point, crushed by their own choices, and initiates their rescue. He doesn't call the self-sufficient or the obviously powerful, but the fearful man hiding in a winepress. The message is that God's presence, not our ability, is the only qualification we need to accomplish His will.
What This Means for Us Today
God's call to Gideon was an invitation out of hiding and into a life of purpose. This chapter extends the same invitation to us - to leave our own 'winepresses' of fear, insecurity, and doubt. We are called to trust that God's promise, 'I will be with you,' is more than enough to overcome any obstacle we face.
- What fears or insecurities are keeping you in a 'winepress'?
- In what area of your life is God calling you to take a small, perhaps frightening, step of obedience?
- How can Gideon's story encourage you to trust God's presence more than your own abilities this week?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter contains the Song of Deborah, celebrating a great victory and serving as a stark contrast to the despair and defeat seen at the start of Judges 6.
The narrative continues directly as God dramatically reduces Gideon's army to just 300 men before giving them a miraculous victory over the Midianites.
Connections Across Scripture
Moses, like Gideon, responded to God's call with a sense of inadequacy, and God gave him the same foundational promise: 'But I will be with you.'
This passage explains the principle behind Gideon's calling: God intentionally chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to show that true power comes from Him, not us.
Gideon is listed in the 'Hall of Faith,' highlighting that despite his doubts, his ultimate actions demonstrated a trust in God that turned weakness into strength.
Discussion Questions
- God called Gideon a 'mighty man of valor' while he was hiding in a winepress. When have you felt a gap between how you see yourself and how God might see you?
- Gideon's first mission was to tear down an idol in his own family's backyard. Why do you think God often calls us to acts of private obedience before public victory?
- Gideon is remembered as a hero of faith, yet he repeatedly asked God for signs. What does his story teach us about the relationship between faith, doubt, and seeking confirmation from God?
Glossary
places
figures
Gideon
A judge of Israel from the tribe of Manasseh, called by God to deliver his people from the Midianites.
Joash the Abiezrite
Gideon's father, who owned an altar to Baal but later defended his son for destroying it.
Angel of the Lord
A divine messenger from God, often understood as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, who commissioned Gideon.
theological concepts
terms
Winepress
A pit or vat where grapes were crushed to make wine, used by Gideon as a hiding place to thresh wheat.
Terebinth
A large, long-living tree common in Israel, often used as a landmark or meeting place.
Asherah
A sacred pole or wooden image representing a Canaanite mother goddess, often worshipped alongside Baal.