Judges 6:38

38 And it was done so. And he rose by night (And he rose up early), and when the fleece was wrung out, he (had) filled a basin (full) with dew;

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 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,)

37 I shall put this fleece of wool in the cornfloor; if the dew is in the fleece alone, and dryness is in all the earth, I shall know, that thou shalt deliver Israel by mine hand, as thou hast spoken. (for me to be certain of that, I shall put this fleece of wool on the threshing floor; and tomorrow, if dew is found only on the fleece, and the ground all around it is dry, then I shall know for sure that thou shalt save Israel by my hand, just as thou hast said.)

38 And it was done so. And he rose by night (And he rose up early), and when the fleece was wrung out, he (had) filled a basin (full) with dew;

39 and (then) he said again to the Lord, Thy strong vengeance be not wroth against me, if I assay yet once (again), and seek a sign in the fleece (and seek a sign with the fleece); I pray, that the fleece alone be dry, and that all the earth (around it) be moist with dew.

40 And (so) the Lord did in that night, as Gideon asked; and dryness was in the fleece alone, and dew was in all the earth (and the next day, the fleece was dry, but there was dew on the ground all around it).