Judges 6:33

Gideon seeks a sign

33 Some time later, all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other easterners joined together, came over, and set up camp in the Jezreel Valley.

Judges 6:33 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 6:33

Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children
of the east
The Arabians, ( Judges 6:3 ) were gathered together; 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:

and went over;
the river Jordan, which lay between the Midianites and the Israelites:

and pitched in the valley of Jezreel;
a very large, delightful, and fruitful plain; of which (See Gill on Hosea 1:5); a very proper place for such a large number to pitch on, and from whence they might receive much; and a suitable place to bring the increase of the land to, from the several parts of it, which was the business they came upon; and as this lay on the borders of Issachar and Manasseh, it was not far from Gideon, and this gave him an opportunity of exerting himself, and executing his commission.

Judges 6:33 In-Context

31 But Joash replied to all who were lined up against him, "Will you make Baal's complaint for him? Will you come to his rescue? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If he is a god, let him argue for himself, because it was his altar that was torn down."

32 So on that day Gideon became known as Jerubbaal, meaning, "Let Baal argue with him," because he tore down his altar.

33 Some time later, all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other easterners joined together, came over, and set up camp in the Jezreel Valley.

34 Then the LORD's spirit came over Gideon, and he sounded the horn and summoned the Abiezrites to follow him.

35 He sent messengers into all of Manasseh, and they were also summoned to follow him. Then he sent messengers into Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali too, and they marched up to meet them.