Judges 6:38

38 And it was so. And when he rose up early on the morrow, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water.

Judges 6:38 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 6:38

And it was so
The Lord condescended to work this miracle for the confirmation of his faith, and for the encouragement of those that were with him; the fleece was wet with the dew of heaven, and all the ground about it dry:

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:

and thrust the fleece together;
to satisfy himself whether the dew had fallen on it, and there was any moisture in it, which by being squeezed together he would more easily perceive:

and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water;
so that it appeared it had not only fallen on it, but it had taken in a large quantity of it; the word here used is the same as in ( Judges 5:25 ) (See Gill on Judges 5:25); the Targum calls it a flagon.

Judges 6:38 In-Context

36 And Gideon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

37 behold, I put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if dew shall be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said.

38 And it was so. And when he rose up early on the morrow, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water.

39 And Gideon said to 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, I pray thee, be dry upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40 And God did so that night, and it was dry upon the fleece only, but on all the ground there was dew.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'the.'