Judges 6:34

34 Forsooth the spirit of the Lord clothed, or full-filled, Gideon; and he sounded with a clarion, and called together the house of Abiezer, that it should follow him. (And the spirit of the Lord filled Gideon full; and he sounded with a trumpet, and called out all the house of Abiezer to follow him.)

Judges 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.

Judges 6:34 In-Context

32 From that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, for-thy that Joash had said, Baal take vengeance of him that hath cast down his altar. (So from that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, or Let Baal contend, for Joash had said, Let Baal himself take vengeance upon him who hath thrown down his altar.)

33 Therefore all Midian, and Amalek, and the peoples of the east were gathered together, and they passed over (the) Jordan, and setted tents in the valley of Jezreel. (And so all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the peoples of the east were gathered together, and they passed over the Jordan River to the west side, and pitched their tents in the Jezreel Valley.)

34 Forsooth the spirit of the Lord clothed, or full-filled, Gideon; and he sounded with a clarion, and called together the house of Abiezer, that it should follow him. (And the spirit of the Lord filled Gideon full; and he sounded with a trumpet, and called out all the house of Abiezer to follow him.)

35 And he sent messengers into all Manasseh, and he followed Gideon (and they followed Gideon); and he sent other messengers into Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they (also) came to him.

36 And Gideon said to the Lord, If thou makest safe Israel by mine hand, as thou hast spoken, (And Gideon said to the Lord, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,)