Judges 6:28-35

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.

29 And they said to one another, "Who has done this thing?" And after they had searched and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing."

30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it."

31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down."

32 Therefore on that day Gideon^[a] was called ¹Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.

33 Now ²all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in ³the Valley of Jezreel.

34 But ⁴the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, ⁵and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.

35 ⁶And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. ⁷And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

Judges 6:28-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 6

In this chapter we have an account of the distressed condition Israel was in through the Midianites, Jud 6:1-6, of a prophet being sent unto them to reprieve them for their sins, Jud 6:7-10 of an angel appearing to Gideon, with an order to him to go and save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Jud 6:11-16 and of a sign given him by the angel, whereby he knew this order was of God, Jud 6:17-24, and of the reformation from idolatry in his father's family he made upon this, throwing down the altar of Baal, and building one for the Lord, Jud 6:25-32, and of the preparation he made to fight the Midianites and others, Jud 6:33-35, but first desired a sign of the Lord, that Israel would be saved by his hand, which was granted and repeated, Jud 6:36-40.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 7:1; 1 Samuel 12:11; [2 Samuel 11:21]
• 2. ver. 3
• 3. Joshua 17:16
• 4. See Judges 3:10
• 5. Judges 3:27
• 6. Judges 7:24
• 7. Judges 7:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew he