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JUDGES 6

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

BACKGROUND STUDY

1. The account of Gideon goes from Judges 6:1 to 8:28. Samson and Gideon are dealt with in more detail than the other "judges."
   
   
2. Gideon is a strange mixture of doubt and fear.
   
   
3. This is the fifth cycle of apostasy and deliverance within the book of Judges.
   
   
4. Many scholars see the combination of two accounts in Judges 6 (see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 306-307; Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 154).
   1. Judges 6:11-24
   2. Judges 6:25-32

   I do not see the need for this. It simply follows the trend of J.E.P.D, which I reject. I much prefer this oral history of John H. Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture.

   SPECIAL TOPIC: PENTATEUCH SOURCE CRITICISM (J,E,D,P)

5. The famous account of Gideon putting out the fleece, found in Judges 6:36-40, is really an act of unbelief, not faith, and, therefore, is not for us to emulate. The Bible records many things that it does not advocate.
   
   
6. For the anthropomorphic language of this ancient account see Special Topic: The Problems and Limitations of Human Language and Special Topic: Anthropomorphic Language to Describe God.
   

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE GOD

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:1-10
  ¹Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. ²The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. ³For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. ⁴So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. ⁵For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. ⁶So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord. ⁷Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian, ⁸that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the Lord the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. ⁹I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, ¹⁰and I said to you, "I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me."'"

6:1 "the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian" Midian is a southern nomadic tribe south of Edom. The people are relatives of the Hebrews through Keturah (cf. Gen. 25:1). They are linked to the Kenites (cf. Num. 10:29; Jdgs. 1:16). Moses' father-in-law was a priest of this tribe.

▣ "into the hands" This is a Semitic idiom for power (cf. Jdgs. 6:9). The NASB translates "hand" in 6:2 as "power."

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND

6:2 "the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds" The Israelites had to (1) live in hide-aways (Josephus, Antiq. 5.6.1) or (2) hide their food in the mountains because of the pressure of the Midianites in the valleys.

6:3 "that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east" This referred to three different groups (cf. Jdgs. 6:33).

1. the Midianites mentioned in Jdgs. 6:1
2. the Amalekites mentioned in Jdgs. 3:13, who were also related to the Hebrews through Esau (cf. Gen. 36:12), but whose name became a synonym of treachery and evil because of the way they treated the people of God during the exodus period
3. the term "the sons of the east," which refers to a third group, possibly a non-Semitic group (cf. Gen. 29:1), northeast of Canaan (cf. Jdgs. 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10; 1 Kgs. 4:30; Job 1:3; Isa. 11:14; Jer. 49:28; Ezek. 25:4,10)

Josephus' Antiq. 5.6.1 calls these three groups, "the Midianites called the Amalekites and Arabians."

6:4, 5 These non-Israelite, nomadic invaders apparently swarmed into the land during the time of harvest and stole the annual crop along with the livestock of the Israelites.

6:4 "destroy the produce of the earth" Because of Jdgs. 6:5 the New Oxford Annotated Bible, p. 308, suggests this refers to taxation. The JPSOA has a footnote that suggests it means "grazed" and involves the over-grazing of the invaders' herds.

However, to me, Jdgs. 6:4-5 implies stealing Israel's crops and herds.

6:5 "their camels were innumerable" This is the first mention of domesticated camels. They were domesticated around the 12th century B.C. This would mean that these groups had the most advanced form of desert travel, military technology, and also their numbers were very large.

▣ "like locust" A locust plague is used in Joel as a metaphor of military invasion (cf. Jdgs. 7:12; also note Isa. 33:4; Jer. 46:23; 51:14, 27; Amos 4:9-10).

Locusts were one of YHWH's plagues on Egypt (cf. Exodus 10; Ps. 78:46; 105:34). They also formed part of the "cursing" section of Deut. 28:38, 42.

There are several words in Hebrew which refer to locusts. This shows their prominence in the ANE. It is uncertain if the words refer to

1. stages of the locust's life
2. different kinds of locusts

6:6 "cried to the Lord" This is part of a recurrent cycle of sin, judgment, and repentance which characterizes the book of Judges (cf. Jdgs. 3:9, 15; 6:6, 7; 10:10, 14).

6:8 "the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel" This is an unnamed prophet. He repeats the exodus covenant promises of God's trustworthiness as demonstrated in the deliverance from Egypt. Some scholars try to interpret this as "the angel/messenger of the Lord," but this does not fit Jdgs. 6:21-24.

6:9 "dispossessed them" This VERB (BDB 176, KB 204, Piel IMPERFECT with waw) is used several times to denote the Canaanites being driven out of the land.

1. by divinely directed hornets, Exod. 23:28
2. by divine empowering of Israel, Exod. 23:31; Jos. 24:12
3. by YHWH Himself, Exod. 23:29, 30; 33:2 (by His angel); Deut. 33:27; Jos. 24:18; Jdgs. 2:3; 6:9

The conquest was an act of Israel's God, not her military! Canaan was YHWH's land.

▣ "gave you their land" YHWH gave Israel the land of Canaan. It is often said to be "His land." He removed the native tribes because of their sin and idolatry (cf. Gen. 15:12-21).

When Israel sinned and committed idolatry, He removed them also (i.e., the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles).

6:10 "I am the Lord your God" This is covenant language using both YHWH and Elohim (cf. Exod. 20:2; Deut. 5:2-3).

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. and D.

▣ "fear" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT).

▣ "the Amorites" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE.

▣ "But you have not obeyed Me" The source of the problem was not God's impotence (cf. Jdgs. 6:13), but Israel's lack of faith and obedience (cf. Jdgs. 2:2) to the covenant (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP

▣ "Amorites" See SPECIAL TOPIC: AMORITE.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:11-18
  ¹¹Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. ¹²The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior." ¹³Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." ¹⁴The Lord looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" ¹⁵He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." ¹⁶But the Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man." ¹⁷So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. ¹⁸Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return."

6:11 "the angel of the Lord" When one compares Jdgs. 6:11 with 6:14, it seems obvious that we are dealing here with another theophany, or possibly the pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ. Here, he is called "the angel of the Lord," while in Jdgs. 6:20 he is called "the angel of God." We know that Gideon believed him to be God because of 6:22, 23. He believed they were going to die (cf. Gen. 16:13; 32:30; Exod. 20:19; 33:20; Num. 12:8; Jdgs. 13:21-23; Isa. 6:5) because they saw God, which they came to understand meant this angel was a manifestation of Deity.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ANGEL OF THE Lord

▣ "and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah" Ophrah was very close to the destroyed city of Ai. There is a possible connection between the oak at Ophrah and the oaks of Mamre during Abraham's life (cf. Gen. 18:1). Trees were a common sacred site (cf. Gen. 12:6; 35:4, 8; Deut. 11:20; Jos. 19:33; 24:26; Jdgs. 4:5; 9:37; 1 Sam. 10:3; 31:13; 1 Chr. 10:12), probably because they reveal the presence of underground water.

▣ "the Abiezrite" Joshua 17:2 states that this was a clan of Manasseh (cf. 1 Chr. 7:18). They settled on the western side of the Jordan.

▣ "Gideon was beating the grain in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites" This shows two things.

1. Gideon was hiding his crop from the annual raid
2. There was not a very large crop so that it could be thrashed in a wine press

6:12 "The Lord is with you" Notice that Gideon changes this to "the Lord is with us" in Jdgs. 6:13. At this point Gideon did not recognize this angel as representing God. He even addresses the angel in a way that shows he is wondering where God is in his life and the life of his people.

▣ "O valiant warrior" This is sarcasm that turns into a prophecy.

There is a possibility that this CONSTRUCT (BDB 150 plus 298) was a title for nobility (cf. Ruth 2:1; 1 Sam. 9:1; 2 Kgs. 15:20; 1 Chr. 7:5; see NEB and REB's translations of Ruth 2:1).

6:13 Gideon's question about YHWH's presence and deliverance in the past are addressed by the unnamed prophet in Jdgs. 6:8. He is still God of Israel, delivering them for His purposes.

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

▣ "lord" See full note online at Exod. 32:23.

▣ "But now the Lord has abandoned us" This is a powerful VERB (BDB 643, KB 695, Qal PERFECT). Gideon and the Israelites felt that YHWH had abandoned them. They did not fully realize the devastating consequences of covenant disobedience.

6:14 This is YHWH's mandate to Gideon. Notice that YHWH, here, "the angel of the Lord," turns and looks at Gideon. This is surely a theophany.

This is similar to God sending Moses in Exodus 3-4.

1. YHWH uses human instrumentality
2. YHWH's personal presence is the key to victory (Jdgs. 6:16)
3. Gideon gives excuses, as Moses did, for not being able to fulfill YHWH's mandate (Jdgs. 6:15)
4. he, like Moses, needs signs (cf. Jdgs. 6:17,37,39)
5. but he is obedient (Jdgs. 6:25-27)

6:15 "How shall I deliver Israel" This sense of inadequacy is similar to that of Moses and Jeremiah. Notice Gideon addresses the angel as "Lord" (Adon), not YHWH (Jdgs. 6:10). Gideon is not sure who this person is (cf. Jdgs. 6:22).

▣ "Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh" The Hebrew term (BDB 48), translated here "family," can also mean the number "thousand." This is one of the problems in the OT; when to translate this term "thousand" or "family."

SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND (eleph)

▣ "I am the youngest in my father's house" Normally the eldest son was responsible for doing great acts for the family. Here is another example of God choosing, not only the least family in the tribe, but one other than the oldest son. This is an OT way to assert the sovereignty of YHWH.

The term here is "אלפי" (BDB 48, KB 60; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 406-410) and denotes a "tribe" or "clan." The Hebrew root for "thousand" is very similar (see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 416-417 and chart at vol. 2, p. 1140).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND

6:16 "surely I will be with you" This is the greatest promise that a human can receive—the promise of the presence of God. This is a repeated promise: Gen. 26:3; 31:3; Exod. 3:12; Ps. 23:4; Matt. 28:20.

6:17 "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign" This is the first indication of a weakness in Gideon. It is an indicator of his lack of faith (cf. Jdgs. 6:36-40; 7:10). Gideon needed much physical encouragement from YHWH. In this chapter alone, he requires three supernatural signs (i.e., Jdgs. 6:21, 37, 39). Be careful of signs (cf. Matt. 24:24).

6:18 "do not depart from here, until I come back" It took quite a long time to prepare this meal. This is similar to Gen. 18:1-8. The angel remained because of the customs of that day.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:19-24
  ¹⁹Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. ²⁰The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so. ²¹Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. ²²When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord he said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." ²³The Lord said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." ²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

6:19 "an ephah of flour" This referred to a dry weight of between 35 and 45 pounds.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES

▣ "broth" This word (BDB 600) is used only twice.

1. here as an offering to the angel of the Lord
2. Isa. 65:4 in a negative sense of idolatry

It may be implied but not mentioned in Gen. 18:1-8; 19:3.

6:20 "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so" This was a very significant sacrifice in light of the scarcity of food. This text has three IMPERATIVES.

6:21 "the staff that was in his hand" YHWH appeared (i.e., theophany) in a way (i.e., dress and staff) as Gideon would have expected.

Since there have been so many parallels with YHWH's initial call of Moses, possibly "the staff" represented the power of YHWH, as Moses' staff did.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND

▣ "and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread" Again, God was giving Gideon a sign so he would know that He was with him.

6:22 "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face" The Israelite tradition was that to see God was to die (cf. Gen. 16:13; 32:20; Exod. 20:19; 33:20; Num. 12:8; Jdgs. 13:21-22; Isa. 6:5).

6:23 "The Lord said to him, 'Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die'" These were tremendous words of comfort (cf. Gen. 43:23) and also another sign to Gideon that God was with him. Kimchi, the famous Jewish commentator, says that God was speaking from heaven (i.e., Bath kol) because the angel of the Lord had departed (cf. Jdgs. 6:21).

6:24 "The Lord is Peace" This is a combination of YHWH and a NOUN. This combination was common and formed many titles for YHWH.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPECIAL TOPIC: SHALOM (peace)

▣ "To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites" This is one of the many textual hints (i.e., like "unto this day") that the book of Judges was compiled by a later editor.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:25-27
  ²⁵Now on the same night the Lord said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; ²⁶and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down." ²⁷Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

6:25 "Now on the same night" This implies a revelation during a dream. This was common in the OT.

▣ "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal" This seems to imply the use of a yoke of oxen. The age of the bull may link it to the time period that Israel had been oppressed by Midian, which was seven years (cf. Jdgs. 6:1). It may also relate to seven being the perfect number in the Bible.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

▣ "pull down the altar of Baal" Before Gideon could deliver Israel he had to deliver his own family from the idolatry that plagued his people. Ba'al was the male fertility god and Asherah was the female consort.

SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL'S MANDATED RESPONSE TO CANAANITE FERTILITY WORSHIP

This term (BDB 732) has several connotations.

1. natural stronghold
   1. mountain, cave, ravine ‒ Jdgs. 6:26
   2. harbor ‒ Isa. 23:4,11,14
2. manmade strongholds ‒ Isa. 17:9; Ezek. 24:25
3. a place of safety (i.e., YHWH) ‒ 2 Sam. 22:2,33; Ps. 27:1; 28:8

This raised earthen site already had a Ba'al altar, now it was the site of a new altar to YHWH. The Ba'al altars were located on naturally occurring high places or were manmade dirt platforms, several feet high.

6:27 "Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and it came about, because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, that he did it by night" Here again is another symbol of Gideon's mixture of fear and doubt. He did what God said but he did it by night so no one would know. You can't keep something secret very long when ten men were involved. It also shows that this altar to Ba'al was a local shrine encompassing more than just the family of Gideon.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:28-32
  ²⁸When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. ²⁹They said to one another, "Who did this thing?" And when they searched about and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash did this thing." ³⁰Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it." ³¹But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar." ³²Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he had torn down his altar.

6:29 "Joash" This name (BDB 219) is a combination of YHWH and "strong" or "given." His name shows the amalgamation of Ba'al and Yahwehistic worship in this period. Gideon's acts show a Yahwehistic altar replacing a Ba'al/Asherah altar.

6:30 This verse has

1. a Hiphil IMPERATIVE ‒ "bring out"
2. a Qal JUSSIVE ‒ "that he may die"

6:31 This shows the wisdom of Gideon's father (Joash, Jdgs. 6:29) as the men of the city reacted to the loss of their local shrine. Gideon's father stood up for his son and said that if Ba'al be a god, let him contend for himself.

▣ "Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning" This seems to be a threat by Joash to protect his son.

6:32 "Jerubbaal" Gideon's name was changed to "one who contends with Ba'al" (BDB 937), which is a popular etymology but not the exact meaning of the name ("may Ba'al take action").

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:33-35
  ³³Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. ³⁴So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. ³⁵He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

6:33 "the valley of Jezreel" This is the same as the valley of Esdraelon or the plains of Megiddo, which will later be called Armageddon. This shows how far north the coalition had penetrated (cf. Jdgs. 6:3).

6:34 "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon" This literally means "the Spirit of the Lord 'clothed' Gideon." What a beautiful metaphor of the power of the presence of God. It occurs only three times in the OT (cf. 1 Chr. 12:18; 2 Chr. 24:20)

▣ "and he blew a trumpet" The blowing of the trumpet was a signal for the men to rally to war. The acts of deliverance were not accomplished by human power, intellect, or numbers but by YHWH's Spirit. The way it is described varies.

1. "clothed" ‒ Jdgs. 6:34
2. "came upon" ‒ Jdgs. 11:29
3. "stir" (lit. "impel," BDB 821, KB 952, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) ‒ Jdgs. 11:29
4. "rush upon" (BDB 852, KB 1026) ‒ Jdgs. 14:6,19; 15:14

Note the variety! The author is purposely using synonyms or quoting from oral or written sources.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HORNS USED BY ISRAEL

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 6:36-40
  ³⁶Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, ³⁷behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken." ³⁸And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. ³⁹Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." ⁴⁰God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

6:37, 39 "I will put out a fleece of wool. . .a test once more with the fleece" Judges 6:36-40 is not an example of great faith for us to follow, but an example of weak faith for us to flee from. Many times in our day we use the idiom "putting out the fleece," but the truth is the fleece was an act of unbelief. God simply honored it because He is willing to work with fallen mankind to accomplish His purposes! This is not an example for us to follow!

Although demanding signs from God is condemned (i.e., Matt. 12:39-47; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32), it is also true that God does periodically encourage weak faith.

1. Jesus touches people He heals.
2. Jesus appears several times to Paul in visions.

Even faith the size of a "mustard seed" (cf. Matt. 17:20) can move mountains. All believers have weak faith! See Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 192-193.

6:39 "Do not let Your anger burn against me" This is similar to Abraham's statement as he bargained with God over Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Gen. 18:22-33).

▣ "that I may speak once more" This is similar to Abraham's speaking to YHWH in Gen. 18:32.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why are histories of Gideon and Samson given in so much detail?
2. Who are "the sons of the east"?
3. Why is the prophet unnamed in Jdgs. 6:8? Is he the only unnamed prophet in the OT?
4. Who is "the angel of the Lord"?
5. Why is Gideon called "O valiant warrior"?
6. Why is Jdgs. 6:16 such a significant theological verse?
7. Why is "a sign" of Jdgs. 6:17 a problem?
8. Why did Gideon think he would die in Jdgs. 6:22?
9. How did the worship of Ba'al reappear after Joshua's conquest?
10. What does Jdgs. 6:34 imply? Is it unique in the OT?

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