Judges Chapter 6

Judges 6 tells the story of the Israelites’ disobedience and the consequent oppression they faced under the Midianites. Due to their continued idolatry, God allowed the Midianites to dominate them for seven years. The Israelites, in their distress, cried out to the Lord for help.

In response, God raised up a prophet named Gideon. As Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and called him a mighty man of valor, instructing him to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon expressed doubt and asked for a sign to confirm the angel’s message.

Later, God commanded Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to the false god Baal and cut down the Asherah pole next to it. Gideon obeyed, but he did it at night out of fear of his family and the townspeople.

The next day, the people discovered what Gideon had done and demanded his execution. However, Gideon’s father defended him, saying that if Baal was truly a god, he could defend himself. From this incident, Gideon was given the name Jerubbaal, meaning “Let Baal contend against him.”

This chapter sets the stage for Gideon’s role as a judge and his subsequent battle against the Midianites, which will unfold in the following chapters. Click the link below to explore the depth and context of each verse in Judges 6.