Giudici 6:34

34 Ma lo spirito dell’Eterno s’impossessò di Gedeone, il quale sonò la tromba, e gli Abiezeriti furono convocati per seguirlo.

Giudici 6:34 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 6:34

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon
Not the spirit of prophecy, as Maimonides ^F24, who calls this spirit the first degree of prophecy, but a spirit of fortitude and courage, as the Targum; the Spirit of God filled him, or, as in the Hebrew text, "clothed" ^F25 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:

and he blew a trumpet;
as an alarm of war, and as a token to as many as heard to resort to him, and join with him in the common cause against the enemy:

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 probable 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 valour, and who, in the present emergence, they looked upon as an hopeful instrument of their deliverance, and therefore joined him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45.
F25 (xvbl) "induit", Pagninus, Montanus Vid. Maimon. ut supra. (T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 28. 2. & 29. 1.) So Homer often represents his heroes as clothed with fortitude and courage; see Iliad. 17.

Giudici 6:34 In-Context

32 Perciò quel giorno Gedeone fu chiamato Ierubbaal, perché si disse: "Difenda Baal la sua causa contro a lui, giacché egli ha demolito il suo altare".

33 Or tutti i Madianiti, gli Amalekiti e i figliuoli dell’oriente si radunarono, passarono il Giordano, e si accamparono nella valle di Izreel.

34 Ma lo spirito dell’Eterno s’impossessò di Gedeone, il quale sonò la tromba, e gli Abiezeriti furono convocati per seguirlo.

35 Egli mandò anche dei messi in tutto Manasse, che fu pure convocato per seguirlo; mandò altresì de’ messi nelle tribù di Ascer, di Zabulon e di Neftali, le quali salirono a incontrare gli altri.

36 E Gedeone disse a Dio: "Se vuoi salvare Israele per mia mano, come hai detto,