Jdg 6:1 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.
Delivered them unto the hand of Midian - The Midianites were among the most ancient of the enemies of Israel . They were remarkable not only for the vast number of their cattle Jdg 6:5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude, both they and their camels were without number. And they entered into the land to destroy it; see also Num_31:32-39, but also for their great wealth in gold and other metal ornaments, showing their connection with a gold country. At this time they were allies of the Amalekites and of the Arabian tribes called collectively “the children of the East” Jdg 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, even they came up against them. They seem to have extended their settlements to the east of Jordan , and to have belonged to the larger section of Arabs called Ishmaelites Jdg 8:24 And Gideon said to them, I would desire a favor of you, that each man of you would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) They joined with the Moabites to seduce them to idolatry, and were nearly extirpated by them; Num_31:1-12. The Midianites dwelt on the eastern borders of the Dead Sea , and their capital was Arnon.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord - After the death of Deborah and Barak, during whose life they kept to the pure worship of God, and who, perhaps, lived pretty near the close of the forty years' rest, or of the twenty years from their victory over Jabin; but they dying, the children of Israel fell into idolatry, for that that was the evil they did, even worshipping the gods of the Amorites, as it appears from Jdg 6:10 And I said to you, I am Jehovah your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed My voice.
delivered them into the hand of Midian - This people had been destroyed by the Israelites in the times of Moses, in their way to the land of Canaan, Num_31 wherefore they might bear them a grudge, and now took the opportunity to revenge themselves on them, God permitting them so to do for their sins;
and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian--Untaught by their former experiences, the Israelites again apostatized, and new sins were followed by fresh judgments. The Midianites, who were descendants of Abraham and Keturah Gen 25:2 And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah, and had penetrated into the grassy steppes on the eastern side of the country of the Moabites and Ammonites (Num_22:4), had sustained a severe blow in the time of Moses (Num. 31:1-18); and the memory of that disaster, no doubt, inflamed their resentment against the Israelites. They were wandering herdsmen, called "children of the East," from their occupying the territory east of the Red Sea , contiguous to Moab . The vast horde of Midianites that overran Canaan made them the greatest scourge which had ever afflicted the Israelites.
Jdg 6:2 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.
Made them the dens which are in the mountains - Nothing can give a more distressing description of the state of the Israelites than what is here related. They dare not reside in the plain country, but were obliged to betake themselves to dens and caves of the mountains, and live like wild beasts, and were hunted like them by their adversaries. The word rendered “dens” is only found in this passage. It is best explained of ravines hollowed out by torrents, channel or fissure, by which the Israelites made into hiding-places.
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel - They were too strong for them, and overcame them, and brought them into subjection to them, and no wonder, when the Lord delivered them into their hand:
Jdg 6:3 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;
And so it was, when Israel had sown – When they had sown seed into their land.
Children of the east - is the general name for the tribes that lived in the desert on the east of Palestine . Probably those who inhabited Arabia Deserta, Ishmaelites. Hence we find in Jdg_8:10 And Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the armies of the sons of the east. For a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword fell, that all the enemies who oppressed the Israelites are called “children of the east.”
and the Amalekites - implacable enemies of Israel , and on every occasion would join other nations in oppressing them. Leading enemies of the people of God who had sprung from Esau.
Jdg 6:4 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.
Encamped against them - Formed a camp, from whence they sent out parties to plunder the people; for they seem not to have come as a regular army, but as a sort of bandits to pillage, and plunder, and destroy the fruits of the earth. Wandering hordes of Midianites, Amalekites, and Ishmaelites came, in the times of harvest and autumn, and carried away their crops, their fruit, and their cattle. And they appear to have come early, encamped in the plains, and watched the crops till they were ready to be carried off.
Till thou come unto Gaza - That is, the whole breadth of the land, from Jordan to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea . Gaza indicates the extreme point south to which they spread their devastations. Thus the whole land was ravaged, and the inhabitants deprived of the necessaries of life.
and destroyed the increase of the earth - the grain and grass before they were well ripe, and fit to cut down; this they did, and gave it to their cattle, and the rest they carried off:
and left no sustenance for Israel - nothing to support life with, cutting down their grain and their grass, their vines and olives, so that they had nothing to live upon:
Jdg 6:5 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.
Grasshoppers for multitude – more appropriately locusts.
They came up with their cattle and their tents - different tribes of wanderers who had no fixed residence; moved from place to place to get prey for themselves and forage for their cattle. Brought their flocks and their herds with them, to eat up the increase of the earth, and their tents, which they pitched and removed from place to place, for the convenience of feeding their cattle, and while they cut down the fruit of the earth everywhere.
and their camels were without number - Midian was a place famous for camels and dromedaries, Isa_60:6 A host of camels shall cover you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. All of them from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.
they entered into the land to destroy it - this was their sole view.
and their camels were without number - That is, so many that it was not easy to number them. And not in a regular army to engage, but in a confused swarm, to plunder the country.
Jdg 6:6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
And Israel was greatly impoverished - Were reduced very low, brought into famishing circumstances through the Midianites thus destroying the fruits of the earth year after year:
the children of Israel cried unto the Lord - which they should have done at first, instead of going into dens and caves; not to the idols they had served, but to Jehovah the God of the whole earth, and who was in a special sense their God, though they had forsaken him.
Jdg 6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
Jdg 6:8 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;
The Lord sent a prophet - His name is not given. This message is somewhat similar to that of the Angel, Jdg_2:1-3 And the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you go up out of Egypt, and have brought you into the land which I swore to your fathers. And I said, I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no treaty with those who live in this land. You shall throw down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. What is this that you have done? And I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. The reference to Exo_20:2 I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage is plain, and supposes the people to whom the prophet addresses these words to be familiar with the facts recorded in that text.
The Lord sent a prophet – Jewish tradition says that this was Phinehas; but it could not have been Phinehas; for it is not probable he should live so long as more than two hundred years. It is more likely that it was some prophet or teacher raised up by the Lord to warn and instruct them. He came in the name of the Lord, and using the form and manner of speech the prophets of Israel did, putting them in mind of the true God they had forgot, and who yet was their Lord and God. Such were his witnesses, and they were raised up from time to time to declare the counsel of God to his rebellious people.
I brought you up from Egypt - reminding them of the benefits they received from God, and the obligations they lay under to serve him, who, when they were bond slaves in Egypt , he appeared for them, and brought them out of their miserable condition.
Jdg 6:9 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;
I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians - Even after they were brought out of Egypt , when the Egyptians pursued after them, and overtook them at the Red sea ; where they were in the utmost distress, and the Lord wrought salvation for them, gave them a passage through it, and destroyed the Egyptians in it:
out of the hand of all that oppressed you - the Amalekites who made war with them at Rephidim, Sihon, and Og, kings of the Amorites, who came out to fight with them, and oppose their passage through their land into Canaan , and the kings of the Canaanites also, who combined against them:
and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land - not only the land of Sihon and Og, but the whole land of Canaan , out of which more properly the inhabitants of it may be said to be driven.
Jdg 6:10 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.
fear not the gods of the Amorites - meaning not a fear of being hurt by them, but a fear and reverence of them as to worship them, which was only to be given to the Lord.
fear not the gods of the Amorites - The idolatries of the Amorites seem, too, to have been preeminently abominable (2Ki_21:11; 1Ki_21:26). It should be observed that the prophet’s language, as it traces the misery of Israel to their sins, so also intimates the necessity of repentance and of breaking off their sins - especially the sin of idolatry - as preliminary to any deliverance.
And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God - The covenant God of them and their fathers, and they ought not to have owned and acknowledged any other besides him:
ye have not obeyed my voice - to cleave to him, fear and worship him; they had been guilty of idolatry, and this is the sin the prophet was sent to reprove them for, and bring them to a sense of.
Jdg 6:11 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.
Sat under an oak - “The oak,” indicating it as a well-known tree, still standing in the writer’s days.
Which was in Orphrah - Or Ephra, was a city, or village rather, in the half tribe of Manasseh, beyond Jordan . There was another Ophrah in Benjamin Jos_18:23. This Ophrah was in Manasseh, and was the village of Joash , the head, apparently, of the family of Abiezer, which was one of the families of Gilead , the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh Num_26:30.
And there came an angel of the Lord - This was an angel of God, as expressed, and not a created one, but the Angel of Jehovah's presence, the Word and Son of God, and who is expressly called Jehovah himself, Jdg_6:14.
there came an angel of the Lord--He appeared in the character and equipments of a traveller (Jdg_6:21), who sat down in the shade to enjoy a little refreshment and repose. Entering into conversation on the engrossing topic of the times, the grievous oppression of the Midianites, he began urging Gideon to exert his well-known prowess on behalf of his country. Gideon, in replying, addresses him at first in a style equivalent (in Hebrew) to "sir," but afterwards gives to him the name usually applied to God.
There came an angel of the Lord - The prophet came to teach and exhort, the angel comes to confirm the word of the prophet, to call and commission him who was intended to be their deliverer, and to work miracles, in order to inspire him with supernatural courage and a confidence of success.
His son Gideon threshed wheat - This is not the only instance in which a man taken from agricultural employments was made general of an army, and the deliverer of his country. Shamgar was evidently a ploughman, and with his ox-goad he slew many Philistines, and became one of the deliverers of Israel .
Threshed wheat by the winepress - This was a place of privacy; he could not make a threshing-floor in open day as the custom was, and bring either the wheel over the grain, or tread it out with the feet of the oxen, for fear of the Midianites, who were accustomed to come and take it away as soon as threshed. He got a few sheaves from the field, and brought them home to have them privately threshed for the support of the family. As there could be no vintage among the Israelites in their present distressed circumstances, the winepress would never be suspected by the Midianites to be the place of threshing grain.
Jdg 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Thou mighty man of valor - Known to God to be such, though as yet not known to be such either by himself or his countrymen (compare Luk_1:28, Luk_1:30). This address contained the promise that the Lord would be with Gideon, and that he would prove himself a mighty hero through the strength of the Lord. This promise was to be a guarantee to him of strength and victory in his conflict with the Midianites.
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him - He stayed some time under the oak, and Gideon being busy in threshing, took no notice of him wherefore he came and stood before him, in his sight:
Jdg 6:13 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.
And Gideon said unto him - This speech is remarkable for its energy and simplicity; it shows indeed a measure of despondency, but not more than the circumstances of the case justified. The extreme bitterness of the national sufferings under the Midianite occupation breaks out in Gideon’s language. The Angel’s words, suitable to times of prosperity, seemed to be a mockery, when it was evident the Lord was not with them.
And Gideon said to him, oh my Lord - Taking him not to be an angel, but some illustrious and eminent person:
if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us - all these troubles and calamities through the oppression of the Midianites; he could not tell how to reconcile the Lord's being with them, and yet suffering such sad things to befall them they groaned under:
Jdg 6:14 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 looked upon him - The change of phrase from “the angel of the Lord” to “the Lord” is remarkable. The writer very appropriately uses the name Jehovah here, instead of the angel of Jehovah; for by his reply the angel distinctly manifested himself as Jehovah, more especially in the closing words, “Have not I sent thee?” The same before called the angel of the Lord, and who was no other than Jehovah himself.
Go in this thy might - The angel had just stated that Jehovah was with him; and he now says, Go in This thy might, in the might of Jehovah, who is with thee.
have not I sent thee--The command and the promise should have made Gideon aware of the real character of his visitor; and yet like Moses, from a sense of humility, or a shrinking at the magnitude of the undertaking, he excused himself from entering on the enterprise. And even though assured that, with the divine aid, he would overcome the Midianites as easily as if they were but one man, he still hesitates and wishes to be better assured that the mission was really from God. He resembles Moses also in the desire for a sign; and in both cases it was the rarity of revelations in such periods of general corruption that made them so desirous of having the fullest conviction of being addressed by a heavenly messenger.
Jdg 6:15 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.
Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh - Behold, my thousand is impoverished. Tribes were anciently divided into tens, and fifties, and hundreds, and thousands; the thousands therefore marked grand divisions, and consequently numerous families; Gideon here intimates that the families of which he made a part were very much diminished.
Jdg 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man - all together, and as easily as if thou had but one man to deal with, and the destruction be so entire and general that none shall be left.
Jdg 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Show me a sign - Work a miracle, that I may know that thou hast wisdom and power sufficient to authorize and quality me for the work. If the Angel ate of Gideon’s present it would be a conclusive proof of the reality of the vision. It would also be a token of God’s goodwill to Gideon.
Jdg 6:18 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.
And bring forth my present - My minchah; generally an offering of bread, wine, oil, flour, and such like. The word used regularly, though not exclusively, for the meat and drink offering It has a double sense of an offering to God, and of a gift to man and. It seems from this that Gideon supposed the person to whom he spoke to be a Divine person. Nevertheless, what he prepared and brought out appears to be intended simply as an entertainment to refresh a respectable stranger.
And bring forth my present - Minchah does not mean a sacrifice in the strict sense, nor merely a “gift of food,” but a sacrificial gift in the sense of a gift presented to God, on the acceptance of which he hoped to receive the sign, which would show whether the person who had appeared to him was really God. This sacrificial gift consisted of such food as they were accustomed to set before a guest whom they wished especially to honor.
Jdg 6:19 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.
Unleavened cakes - As being much more quickly baked and as connected with the meat offering. An ephah, containing 3 measures, was the quantity of flour commonly used at one baking Gen_18:6; Exo_16:16.
and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour - that is, probably those were made out of an ephah of flour; not that the whole ephah was made into cakes; since an omer, the tenth part of an ephah, was sufficient for one man a whole day;
Jdg 6:20 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.
Pour out the broth - Libations were a very ancient form of offering Gen_35:14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. The drink offerings of wine under the Levitical law were poured upon the altar Exo_30:9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meal offering. Neither shall you pour drink offering on it. The pouring of the broth upon the rock was evidently of the nature of a libation. It might also, like the water poured by Elijah upon his sacrifice, make the miracle of the fire that consumed the sacrifice more apparent.
Jdg 6:21 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.
and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes - did not strike the rock with it, as Moses did with his rod, to fetch out water for the Israelites, but touched the provisions brought him; had he struck the rock with his staff, the miracle would not have appeared so great, because it might be thought there was an iron ferrule at the end of it, which striking on a flinty rock might cause fire; but it was the flesh and cakes only that were touched, and these also as having broth poured on them, and the rock likewise:
then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight - not went on his journey, as he might seem, but vanished immediately; which circumstance plainly showed, and fully convinced Gideon, that he was not a man, but the Son of God; and by this instance of his omnipotency, gave him assurance, that he both could, and would consume the Midianites.
Jdg 6:22 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.
Alas, O Lord God! - In this miracle Gideon received the desired sign, that the person who had appeared to him was God. But the miracle filled his soul with fear, so that he exclaimed, “Alas, Lord Jehovah! is an exclamation, sometimes of grief on account of a calamity that has occurred Jos_7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have You at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? And, oh that we had been content and lived on the other side Jordan! and sometimes of alarm caused by the foreboding of some anticipated calamity (Jer_1:6; Jer_4:10; Jer_32:17; Eze_4:14, etc.). Here it is an expression of alarm, fear of the death which might be the necessary consequence of his seeing God (see Exo_20:16-19).
Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen - This is an elliptical sentence, a natural expression of the distressed state of Gideon’s mind: as if he had said, Have mercy on me, O Lord God! else I shall die; because I have seen an angel of Jehovah face to face. It was a prevalent sentiment, as well before as under the law, that if any man saw God, or his representative angel he must surely die. It was a commonly received notion even among good men, in those times, that the Lord was not to be seen by them and live, as appears from Jacob, Manoah, and others; at least the appearance of a divine Person, and even of any messenger from heaven, was startling, surprising, and frightful to them; which arose from a sense they had of the divine Being, and of their own sinfulness and frailty.On this account Gideon is alarmed, and prays for his life.
Jdg 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
The theophany here described resembles so far the appearance of the angel of the Lord to Abram in the grove of Mamre (Gen 18), that he appears in perfect human form, comes as a traveler, and allows food to be set before him; but there is this essential difference between the two, that whereas the three men who came to Abraham took the food that was set before them and ate thereof - that is to say, allowed themselves to be hospitably entertained by Abraham - the angel of the Lord in the case before us did indeed accept the minchah that had been made ready for him, but only as a sacrifice of Jehovah which he caused to ascend in fire.
The reason for this essential difference is to be found in the different purpose of the two theophanies. To Abraham the Lord came to seal that fellowship of grace into which He had entered with him through the covenant that He had made; but in the case of Gideon His purpose was simply to confirm the truth of His promise, that Jehovah would be with him and would send deliverance through him to His people, or to show that the person who had appeared to him was the God of the fathers, who could still deliver His people out of the power of their enemies by working such miracles as the fathers had seen. But the acceptance of the minchah prepared for Him as a sacrifice which the Lord himself caused to be miraculously consumed by fire, showed that the Lord would still graciously accept the prayers and sacrifices of Israel , if they would but forsake the worship of the dead idols of the heathen, and return to Him in sincerity.
Jdg 6:24 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 built an altar - and called it Jehovah-shalom - The words Yehovah shalom signify The Lord is my peace, or The peace of Jehovah; and this name he gave the altar, in reference to what God had said, Jdg_6:23, Peace be unto thee, which implied, not only a wish, but a prediction of the prosperous issue of the enterprise in which he was about to engage. It is likely that this is the altar which is mentioned in Jdg_6:26, and is spoken of here merely by anticipation. Gideon’s naming the altar which he built, is very similar to what we read of Abraham Gen_22:14, and of Moses (Exo_17:15, when he named the altar Jehovah-nissi).
Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord - On the top of the rock where he had laid his provisions, and which had been consumed by fire issuing out of it, as a token of divine acceptance, and as an assurance of his destroying the Midianites as easily and quickly as the fire had consumed them, and therefore had great encouragement to erect an altar here for God:
unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites - that is, the altar Gideon built remained to the times of Samuel, the writer of this book, and was then to be seen in the city of Ophrah , which belonged to the family of the Abiezrites, who were of the tribe of Manasseh.
,Jdg 6:25 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:
Cut down the grove by it - Rather, “the idol upon it,” the Asherah, the wooden image of Astarte Jdg_3:7.
Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock - There is some difficulty in this verse, for, according to the Hebrew text, two bullocks are mentioned here; but there is only one mentioned in Jdg_6:26, Jdg_6:28. But what was this second bullock? Some think that it was a bullock that was fattened in order to be offered in sacrifice to Baal. This is very probable, as the second bullock is so particularly distinguished from another which belonged to Gideon’s father. As the altar was built upon the ground of Joash, yet appears to have been public property, (see Jdg_6:29, Jdg_6:30), so this second ox was probably reared and fattened at the expense of the men of that village, else why should they so particularly resent its being offered to Jehovah?
and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath - upon his ground, in some part of his possessions, and perhaps built at his own expense, though for public use: This action might seem injurious to his father's authority; but God's command was a sufficient warrant, and Gideon was now called to be the supreme magistrate, whereby he was made his father's superior, and was authorized to root out all idolatry, and the instruments thereof.
and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath - In order to be able to carry out the work entrusted to him of setting Israel free, it was necessary that Gideon should first of all purify his father's house from idolatry, and sanctify his own life and labor to Jehovah by sacrificing a burnt-offering.
even the second bullock - He was to offer one for himself, the other for the sins of the people, whom he was to deliver.
Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock - According to the general explanation of the first clauses, there are two oxen referred to: first, his father's young bullock; and secondly, an ox of seven years old, the latter of which Gideon was to sacrifice (according to Jdg_6:26) upon the altar to be built to Jehovah, and actually did sacrifice, according to Jdg_6:27, Jdg_6:28. But in what follows there is no further allusion to the young bullock, or the first ox of his father; so that there is a difficulty in comprehending for what purpose Gideon was to take it, or what use he was to make of it. Most commentators suppose that Gideon sacrificed both of the oxen-the young bullock as an expiatory offering for himself, his father, and all his family, and the second ox of seven years old for the deliverance of the whole nation. If God had commanded Gideon to take two oxen, He would certainly have told him what he was to do with them both. But as there is only one bullock mentioned in Jdg_6:26-28, other scholars understand Jdg_6:25 as meaning that Gideon was to take only one bullock, namely the young bullock of his father, and therefore regard it as a more precise definition of that one bullock. This bullock is called “the second bullock,” as being the second in age among the bullocks of Joash. The reason for choosing this second of the bullocks of Joash for a burnt-offering is to be found no doubt in its age (seven years), which is mentioned here simply on account of its significance as a number, as there was no particular age prescribed in the law for a burnt-offering, that is to say, because the seven years which constituted the age of the bullock contained an inward allusion to the seven years of the Midianitish oppression. For seven years had God given Israel into the hands of the Midianites on account of their apostasy; and now, to wipe away this sin, Gideon was to take his father's bullock of seven years old, and offer it as a burnt-offering to the Lord. To this end Gideon was first of all to destroy the altar of Baal and of the asherah which his father possessed, and which, to judge from Jdg_6:28, Jdg_6:29, was the common altar of the whole family of Abiezer in Ophrah. This altar was dedicated to Baal, but there was also upon it an asherah, an idol representing the goddess of nature, which the Canaanites worshipped; not indeed a statue of the goddess, but, as we may learn from the Hebrew, to hew down, simply a wooden pillar (see Deu_16:21). The altar therefore served for the two principal deities of the Canaanites. Jehovah could not be worshipped along with Baal. Whoever would serve the Lord must abolish the worship of Baal. The altar of Baal must be destroyed before the altar of Jehovah could be built.
Jdg 6:26 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.
The wood of the grove - The (blocks of) wood of the idol. The command from God Himself to build an altar, and sacrifice upon it, is analogous to Elijah’s sacrifice 1 Kings 18, and was doubtless caused by the extraordinary circumstance of the defection of the Israelites from the worship of the true God. Possibly, too, the Midianite invasion had made the worship at Shiloh impossible at this time.
Upon the top of this rock - Heb. of this strong hold: possibly upon the top of the mountain, upon which the fortress belonging to Ophrah was situated, for in that calamitous time the Israelites retreated to such rocks, and hid and fortified themselves in them.
And offer a burnt sacrifice - Gideon was no priest, nor was this the appointed place of sacrifice; but God can dispense with his own institutions, though we may not; and his call gave Gideon sufficient authority.
Jdg 6:27 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.
the men of the city - both his father's family, and the inhabitants of the city of Ophrah , were all idolaters, worshippers of Baal.
He feared his father’s household - So it appears that his father was an idolater: but as Gideon had ten men of his own servants whom he could trust in this matter, it is probable that he had preserved the true faith, and had not bowed his knee to the image of Baal. Perhaps this fear of them was not a fear of being reproached or punished for what he did, but a fear of being restrained and hindered from doing it, and therefore in point of prudence, and consulting the honor of God and religion, and not his own safety, he took the time of the night to do it in.
Jdg 6:28 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.
The second bullock was offered - It appears that the second bullock was offered because it was just seven years old, Jdg_6:25, being calved about the time that the Midianitish oppression began; and it was now to be slain to indicate that their slavery should end with its life. The young bullock, Jdg_6:25, is supposed to have been offered for a peace-offering; the bullock of seven years old, for a burnt-offering.
And when the men of the city arose early in the morning - And came to the place where the altar of Baal, his grove and image, were, to pay their morning devotions to him.
Jdg 6:29 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.
Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing - They fixed on him the more readily because they knew he had not joined with them in their idolatrous worship.
And they said one to another, who hath done this thing - They were struck with amazement, and could not devise who could be so daring and wicked as to do such an action:
Jdg 6:30 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.
The men of the city said - The principal inhabitants of the place met together, and in a body went to Joash, to have justice done in this case:
bring out thy son, that he may die - they do not ask to have the cause tried, to hear what proof they had of the fact, or what Gideon had to say in his own defence; nor do they wait for the sentence, but determine it themselves, and require the delinquent to be given up to them, that they might put him to death; a strange request of Israelites, whose law judged no man before it heard him; and besides, according to that, the worshippers of Baal, and not the destroyers of him, and his altars, were to be put to death, which shows how far astray these people were:
Jdg 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 for Baal? - The words are very emphatic. Joash could not slay his son; but he was satisfied he had insulted Baal: if Baal were the true God, he would avenge his own injured honor.
And Joash said unto all that stood against him - Against his son; that were his accusers and adversaries, and required him to be given up to them, that they might put him to death:
if he be a god, let him plead for himself - if he is a god, he knows who has done it, and is able to avenge himself on him, and put him to death himself that has done it, and therefore leave it with him to plead his own cause, and avenge his own injuries; this he said, deriding the deity; for though Joash had been a worshipper of Baal, yet he might be now convinced by his son of the sinfulness of it; or perhaps he was not so attached to Baal, but that he preferred the life of his son to the worship of him.
if he be a god, let him plead for himself - As the God of Israel hath often done when any indignity or injury hath been done him. But Baal hath now showed, that he is neither able to help you, nor himself; and therefore is not worthy to be served any longer. This resolute answer was necessary to stop the torrent of the peoples fury.
he that will plead for him - He that shall farther plead for such a god as this, deserves to die for his folly and impiety.
While it is morning - That is, instantly, without delay.
Jdg 6:32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
He called him Jerubbaal - That is, “Let Baal contend”; "let Baal plead"; let Baal plead his own cause, and avenge himself on Gideon for what he has done to him,
He called him Jerubbaal - That is, Joash called his son Gideon by that name; who, some think, is the same with Jerombalus, the priest of the god Jevo, or Jehovah. He is mentioned by Sanchoniathon, quoted by Eusebius, who lived in the reign of Ithobal, king of Tyre , and consequently a little after the time of Gideon, by the name of Jerombalus.
Jdg 6:33 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 the Midianites - not as being alarmed with this fact of Gideon in destroying the altar of Baal, and so came to avenge it; but it was their usual time of gathering together to come into Canaan, being harvest time, as appears by Gideon being employed in threshing, to fetch away the increase of the earth, as they had done for some years past: The confederated troops of Midian, Amalek, and their neighbors, crossing the Jordan to make a fresh inroad on Canaan, encamped in the plains of Esdraelon (anciently Jezreel).
and pitched in the valley of Jezreel - Not Jezreel in Judah , but another in the borders of Manasseh and Issachar, which was not far distant from Ophrah, where Gideon dwelt.
Jdg 6:34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon - He was endued with preternatural courage and wisdom. The word contains a striking thought. In the Hebrew text, "clothed" him with zeal, strength, and might, moved and animated him to engage with this great body of people come into the land, to ravage and waste it, and to attempt the deliverance of Israel from their bondage: It is different from that used in the case of Othniel Jdg_3:10, Jephthah Jdg_11:29, and Samson Jdg_13:25; Jdg_14:6, Jdg_14:19.
With Othniel and the other passages, the word used to mean “came upon” is Strong’s H1961 A primitive root; to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary). The word used in the case of Gideon is Strong’s H3847 A verb meaning to wear, to dress, to put on clothing. It is used of putting on any kind of clothing or garments. It is used figuratively in various ways: of the Lord or people being clothed with righteousness and other qualities (Psa_93:1; Psa_104:1; Isa_51:9; Isa_59:17); of the Spirit of the Lord "clothing," coming upon a person (Jdg_6:34); of worms clothing a person (Job_7:5); terror also may clothe a person (Eze_7:27).
The spirit came - The Hebrew is, The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon; clothed him as a robe, to put honor upon him; clothed him as a coat of mail to put a defence upon him. Those are well clad that are thus clothed. Luk 24:49 And behold, I send the promise of My father on you. But you sit in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.
and Abiezer was gathered after him - the Abiezrites, one of the families of the tribe of Manasseh, of which Gideon and his father's house were; and even it is possible the inhabitants of Ophrah, who were Abiezrites, being now convinced of their idolatry, and having entertained a good opinion of Gideon as a man of valor, and who, they looked upon as an hopeful instrument of their deliverance, and therefore joined him.
Jdg 6:35 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.
And he sent messengers through all Manasseh - His own tribe, Manasseh, and the three northern tribes of Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali hastened to join him. Issachar was possibly unable to do so, because the Midianites were encamped in the heart of their country. Asher no longer “abode in his breaches,” as in the time of Jabin Jdg_6:17, perhaps ashamed of their former backwardness, and stung by the rebuke of Deborah; perhaps, too, from feeling the Midianite yoke much more galling than that of Jabin. Because these tribes were nearest, and so could soonest join with him; and were nearest the enemy also, Jdg_6:33, and therefore were most sensible of the calamity, and would in all reason be most forward to rescue themselves from it.
Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali - which three tribes lay nearest to him on the north; but he sent not to the inhabitants of the tribe of Ephraim, which lay to the south, and which afterwards occasioned a quarrel, Jdg_8:1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they rebuked him sharply.
Jdg 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
If thou wilt save Israel - The caution of Gideon, desirous of being assured that he really had a promise from God, does not imply doubts as to God’s faithfulness or power to fulfill His promise. Of such doubts there is not a trace in Gideon’s character. He is a worthy example of faith Heb_11:32-33 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah; also David, and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. He was willing to have a confirmation of his faith; and perhaps his view was more for the encouragement of those that were with him than himself, that he desired the following signs.
Jdg 6:37 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, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor - On the floor where he was threshing, where the angel first appeared to him, and which lay exposed to the open air, so that the dew might easily fall upon it: The second sign Jdg_6:40, would be more convincing than the former, because it is the nature of fleeces to attract and retain moisture.
and it be dry upon all the earth beside - meaning not upon all the world, nor even upon all the land of Israel , but upon all the floor about the fleece:
Jdg 6:38 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.
And it was so - God granted the sign. The Lord condescended to work this miracle for the confirmation of his faith, and for the encouragement of those that were with him.
for he rose up early in the morning - being eagerly desirous of knowing whether his request would be granted, and how it would be with the fleece:
Jdg 6:39 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.
And Gideon said unto God - In the same way as before, and on the morning when he had been favored with the sight of the above miracle:
let not thine anger be hot against me - he was conscious to himself that it showed great presumption and boldness in him to repeat his request, and that it had the appearance of great diffidence and distrust in him, after he had been indulged with such a sign to confirm his faith; promising to ask no more favours of this kind, he hoped his boldness would not be resented:
let me prove, l pray thee - not to try the power of God, of which he had no doubt, but the will of God, whether it was the good pleasure of God to save Israel by his hand, and whether now was the time, or another. Gideon's prayer for a sign did not arise from want of faith in the divine assurance of a victory, but sprang from the weakness of the flesh, which Gideon knew himself and his own strength, and was well aware that his human strength was not sufficient for the conquest of the foe. But as the Lord had promised him His aid, he wished to make sure of that aid through the desired sign.
let it now be dry only upon the fleece - which might seem to be a greater, at least a plainer miracle than the former, and less liable to cavil and objection; for it might be urged, that a fleece of wool naturally draws in and drinks up moisture about it; wherefore that to be dry, and the ground all around it wet, would be a sure sign and evidence of the wonderful interposition of the power and providence of God, in directing the fall of the dew on the one, and not on the other.
Jdg 6:40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
