Judges 9, Gideon's Son in Shechem

Gideon (Jerub-Baal) had a son by a concubine in a nearby town. That son, whose name means "my father is king", now seeks power.

Judges 9:1-4, Abimelech calls out the people of Shechem

Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan, "Ask all the citizens of Shechem, `Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood."

When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.

Abimelech's mother is a native of Shechem and has many relatives in that town. Abimelech rouses the people of Shechem to support him, a true citizen of the town, against the seventy sons of Gideon living in nearby Ophrah.  Abimelech claims that these seventy sons will shortly rule Shechem and should be opposed. (Gideon's king-like attitude might have contributed to this belief.)

We note that the silver comes from the temple of Baal-Berith. Worship of Baal violates Israel's covenant with YHWH and Abimelech's father had previously pulled down the idol in Ophrah. It might be particularly galling here that Berith means "covenant" and so Baal-Berith is "Baal of the covenant", as opposed to YHWH's covenant!

Judges 9:5-6, Massacre

He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.

Abimelech massacres most of his step brothers. One escapes. The author of Judges identifies these brothers as being executed on "one stone", a symbol we will see again.

Abimelech presumably believes his father made a mistake in turning down the offer of kingship, a mistake Abimelech rectifies.

Judges 9:7-15, Jotham's fable

When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, 

"Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, `Be our king.'

"But the olive tree answered, `Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'

"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, `Come and be our king.'

"But the fig tree replied, `Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'

"Then the trees said to the vine, `Come and be our king.'

"But the vine answered, `Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?'

"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, `Come and be our king.'

"The thornbush said to the trees, `If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'

Jotham tells a fable to the people of Shechem, accusing them of choosing a wild thornbush to be their king.

Judges 9:16-21, "Are you honorable?"

"Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves -- and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian (but today you have revolted against my father's family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother) -- if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!

But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!"

Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

Jotham challenges the people about their abandonment of his father, the man who threw off their oppressors, in favor of this (illegitimate?) upstart. Here we have Abimelech's mother identified as a slave girl of Gideon's, a derogatory statement about her status.

Jotham's "if ... then ..." statements are intended to communicate a prophecy. Since the people have not acted honorably, they will be consumed by a fire from Abimelech. And eventually Abimelech will also be consumed.

After this strong accusation, Jotham flees. We do not hear of him again.

(Beth Millo is either a village near to Shechem or part of the town of Shechem.)

Judges 9:22-25, An evil spirit creates division

After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech.

God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech.

The people of Shechem, already identified as ruffians, begin robbing local travelers. This is an act of YHWH, setting up a somewhat natural punishment for people who have already betrayed the family of Gideon.

Judges 9:26-29, Gaal's rebellion

Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech.

Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech?

If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, `Call out your whole army!'"

Gaal calls the people of Shechem back to the service of Hamor, Shechem's father. This lineage goes back to Jacob's time, see Genesis 33:18-20. Recall that Shechem, son of Hamor, raped Jacob's daughter, Dinah, in Genesis 34.

Gaal, hearing curses of Abimelech at a pagan festival, takes the opportunity to suggest a rebellion.

This pagan harvest festival apparently occurs in the temple of Baal-Berith, suggesting that Baal-Berith was a fertility god.

Judges 9:30-34, Abimelech warned

When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do."

So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.

Gaal, in his plans for rebellion, is betrayed and word gets to the governor of the city, who contacts Abimelech. An ambush is set, with Gaal the target. Apparently Gaal and his men are in Shechem, in a position of control, and Abimelech is outside the city. Abimelech is to advance on the city at night with plans to attack at dawn.

Judges 9:35-39, Gaal attacked, Zebul taunts

Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance to the city gate just as Abimelech and his soldiers came out from their hiding place.

When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" 

Zebul replied, "You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men."

But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and a company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers' tree."

Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, `Who is Abimelech that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!"

So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech.

Gaal sees the men of Abimelech approaching and is caught off guard by the number of enemy soldiers, appearing in different places. Zebul, who arranged this, says, "Where is your big talk now?" (A very modern turn of phrase.) And so the fight begins.

Note a landmark called "the soothsayers' tree". Is this a place where people might go to have their fortunes told?

Judges 9:40-45, Shechem destroyed

Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight--all the way to the entrance to the gate. Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech. So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.

All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.

Abimelech attacks from the outside of the city while Zebul surprises Gaal from within the city, driving the soldiers into the open fields. Abimelech wins the battle the next day and then begins to destroy the city, taking vengeance on those who had first supported him. (We do not hear what happened to Gaal.)

Judges 9:46-40, Burned in a tower

On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.

When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there, he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, "Quick! Do what you have seen me do!"

So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

Trapping the remaining people in a tower, Abimelech burns the tower and those inside. Thus Jotham's prediction that this chaotic thornbush will burn the town is fulfilled.

Judges 9:50-54, A woman's millstone

Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.

Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women--all the people of the city--fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.

Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, `A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.

Abimelech tries the same trick in another town -- collecting the citizens in a tower and then burning it down -- but a woman fatally injures him by dropping a millstone on his head. We are given no explanation for why nearby Thebez is attacked, but there Abimelech, who executed all his step brothers on a single stone in Ophrah, is himself killed by a single stone. As Jotham has foretold, Shechem got its revenge. 

Note Abimelech's last request -- he doesn't want people to say a woman killed him! Yet centuries later, Joab, commander of David's army, will recall this danger of getting too close to the wall (see 2 Samuel 11:18-21) and remembers that it was woman who did the killing. Abimelech, despite his great ambition, is remembered for his stupidity in getting so close to a city wall that a woman could kill him

Judges 9:55-57, Curse of Jotham realized

When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.

God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

Jotham had accused the people of Shechem of following a thornbush, and cursed them by saying, "May fire consume you!"  And his curse came true!

First published July 3, 2023; updated July 2, 2026

Judges 8, The Rule of Gideon

Gideon and his small army have defeated their Midianite oppressors. The timid Gideon has now become a mighty leader (under YHWH's direction) and is recognized as a mighty warrior.

Judges 8:1-3, Gideon verbally attacked

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply.

But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" 

    

At this, their resentment against him subsided.

The Ephraimites accuse Gideon of not inviting them to the original fight. Gideon responds by pointing out their involvement at the end of the battle and arguing that YHWH gave the Midianite kings to them. The Ephraimite leaders are mollified.

This represents the high point of Gideon's reign as leader and "judge." Now that he is a mighty warrior, his story begins to go downhill. Commentator Barry Webb points out that, from here on, there is no indication that Gideon seeks the guidance of YHWH or His messenger.

Judges 8:4-9, Request denied

Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. He said to the men of Succoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

But the officials of Succoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?"

Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers."

From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had.

So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower."

Gideon has defeated the Midianites. Yet he pursues a possibly small band, led by two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon and his men, exhausted and hungry, cross the Jordan and, east of that river, they ask for help from the men of Succoth and Peniel. (The Hebrews east of the Jordan tend to be left out in the politics of Israel; see the earlier episode Joshua 20:10-12.)  Unwisely, these people refuse to help the army of Gideon.

Judges 8:10-12, Zebah and Zalmunna

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.

Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army. Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

There is a smaller group of Midianites that must be defeated. The numbers given include 120 thousand fallen swordsmen. The Hebrew word eleph is, again, the word that is being translated "thousand". The smaller group may not have expected Gideon to cross the Jordan.

Judges 8:13-17, Retribution in Piniel

Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town.

Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, `Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'"

He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.

Gideon returns to Peniel and gets revenge against this transjordan town. He captures and interrogates a young man of the town and punishes and kills various leaders. This is the first indication of violence against fellow Hebrews.

Peniel (פְנוּאֵל, meaning "face of God") was named by Jacob in Genesis 32:30-31, after he wrestled with God there.

Judges 8:18-21, Execution of Zebah and Zalmunna

Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" 

"Men like you," they answered, "each one with the bearing of a prince."

Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you." Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. `As is the man, so is his strength.'" 

So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels' necks.

Apparently Gideon has lost biological brothers in an earlier conflict at Tabor. We have not heard of this event before -- there has presumably been fighting around Mount Tabor since the time of Sisera and Deborah.  

Because these men killed his brothers, Gideon plans to execute the two kings. It is not clear if the earlier deaths were part of war or were simple murders. The Old Testament Law treats murder as different from killing during warfare and it is not clear if Gideon has the right to execute these two kings. The comments by the kings, that they killed ones "with the bearing of a prince" may be taunts (says Webb) -- these were "good" kills of strong warriors.

Gideon then asks his oldest son to kill the kings but the son is afraid. So, after being taunted by the two rulers, Gideon kills them himself. The taunt of the kings includes a proverb that suggests Gideon has cowardly passed on the ugly deed to others.

Webb points out some undercurrents to this story. Gideon is becoming more violent, more sure of himself, and we see how his violence conflicts with the attitude of his son. We also see a mention of his brothers as "princes." Is Gideon about to become king? Is Israel about to institute royalty and monarchies?

Judges 8:22-26, "Rule over us"

The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son and your grandson--because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian."

But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,  not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks.

The might warrior, Gideon, is now invited to be king. A king, as opposed to a judge, would begin a dynasty, with sons and grandsons continuing the rule. Gideon refuses to be the ruler of Israel and, this time, mentions the name of YHWH. But he also asks for gold from the people.

Judges 8:27-28, A golden ephod to worship

Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.

Gideon uses the donated gold to create an "ephod", an object in the shape of sleeveless vest. It is not clear what Gideon intends with this statue -- it is possible it is a memorial of some type and intended, by him, as part of his worship of YHWH. But this golden object becomes an idol,  a "snare" to the people of Ophrah.  Gideon, called Jerub-Baal, "contender with Baal", began his reign by tearing down the idols in Ophrah and now ends his reign by creating a substitute. Despite the idolatry, it is reported that the land has peace.

Judges 8:29-32, Many sons and long life

Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.

His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech.

Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon has many wives and at least one concubine (at nearby Shechem.) He has many sons. These are all the markings of a powerful man, one who might be viewed as a king. Indeed, the mistress in Shechem names her son Abimelech, which means "my father is king." This "son of a king" will have an important role in the next chapter.

Judges 8: 33-35, Gideon's legacy

No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

They also failed to show kindness to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for them.

After Gideon's death, the Israelites again pivot to the Baals. They ignore Gideon's earlier work and are misled by his golden vest idol. Gideon's legacy is a sad one and his son, Abimelech, will make it much worse.

First published July 1, 2023; updated July 1, 2026

Judges 7, Gideon's Three Hundred

Gideon, led by the messenger of YHWH, prepares to attack the Midianites.

Judges 7:1-3, Remove 22,000 men

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, `Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" 

So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

Gideon says, "If you are frightened, go home!"  Two-thirds of the fighters take him up on this. YHWH wants no excuses.

Judges 7:4-8, Remove some more

But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, `This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, `This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 

Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."

So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

Gideon says, "If you drink by drawing the water up to your mouth with your hand, stay.  Otherwise go home."  Finally there are only 300 soldiers.

There have been a variety of suggestions as to why these two methods of drinking would separate soldiers. Those who kneel down to drink were sent home. The other posture (lapping water like a dog/lapping with their hands to their mouths) is not clear. Some claim this second posture, used by only 300 men, demonstrated alertness for battle. Other commentators disagree. Some claim that Gideon merely uses this method as a way to trim the army to a size acceptable by YHWH's messenger.

When the rest of the army leaves, Gideon holds onto the provisions, including some trumpets.

Judges 7:9-12, Listen in

During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.  If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah
and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

YHWH instructs Gideon to listen in on some of the conversations of this large cohort.

Judges 7:13-14, One man's dream

Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed."

His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."

Midianites are having bad dreams. Gideon overhears one Midianite predicting defeat, since God is on Gideon's side.

Judges 7:15-18, Gideon hears and worships

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands."

Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

"Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, `For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

Gideon, excited by what he overheard, prepares a surprise attack.  He appears to have access to 300 trumpets, jars and torches, left over from supplies for the greater army. The much smaller army that remains is divided into three companies, each man with trumpets, jars and torches. The torches are inside the jars so that the light of the torches is blocked.

Judges 7:19-22, Trumpets and broken jars

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.

The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

In the dark the followers of Gideon blow trumpets, break jars and hold up torches. The sudden appearance of 300 jars and trumpets indicates a much larger army. The men of Gideon stay put, not attacking, but the Midianites react in terror and flee, attacking others in the chaos. So the Midianites are routed without a real attack by Gideons men.

Judges 7:23-25, Come down and help us

Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." 

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

The men of Ephraim join in the rout. Two Midianite leaders are captured and executed. Their places of execution are then named after the killed Midianite chieftains.

First published June 30, 2023; updated June 30, 2026

Judges 6, The Call of Gideon

Now Israel needs another judge. This will be our fifth, after Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar and Deborah. This judge will have a spotted history and his reign will hint at the fractured and degraded nature of Israel

Judges 6:1-5, Midianite oppression

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

The Israelites have to build hideaways in caves in the hills, to protect themselves from the Midianites. The Midianites, "like locusts" would swarm over Israel and destroy their crops and animals.

Judges 6:6-10, Cry to YHWH

Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help. When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land.  I said to you, `I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.' But you have not listened to me."

Eventually the Israelites cry out -- they are so impoverished that they even admit to their need, again, of God.  An unnamed prophet is sent out.  (This may represent a summary of what is to come.)

Judges 6:11-18, A messenger visits Gideon

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."

"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, `Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."

The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

"But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you." And the LORD said, "I will wait until you return."

A "messenger" from YHWH appears to Gideon. (In the dialogue, the angel is eventually identified as YHWH, speaking YHWH's message.) Gideon is secretly threshing wheat in a winepress, a small area that would have allowed him to stay out of the view of Midianites. (A photo of an ancient Hebrew winepress is here.) The village of Ophrah of Abiezrite, in Manasseh, was probably close to Shechem. (There is apparently another Ophrah in Benjamin; this Wikipedia stub.)

The author of Judges reports a dialogue between YHWH and His chosen prophet.  Just like Moses, Gideon argues back.

The phrase "My clan is the weakest..." uses the Hebrew word eleph. That Hebrew word, often translated "thousand", is translated "clan" here as "thousand" does not fit the context.

Judges 6:19-21, The messenger lights a fire

Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." 

And Gideon did so. With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.

The messenger displays power by setting the sacrifice on fire. The burnt offering requires no fire from Gideon.

Judges 6:22-24, YHWH is Peace

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"

But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon's eyes are open now. This is not a human messenger. Gideon then creates an altar that still stands in the time of the author of Judges, at the site of Ophrah

Judges 6:25-27, Asherah pole cut down

That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

Gideon acts against the village idols, but he is still timid.

Judges 6:28-32, Joash defends Gideon

In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, "Who did this?" 

When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it."

The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar."

So that day they called Gideon "Jerub-Baal," saying, "Let Baal contend with him," because he broke down Baal's altar.

The townspeople discover the culprit but Gideon's father defends Gideon -- and suggests a challenge to Baal. Because of this challenge, Gideon receives a second name, Jerub-Baal.

Judges 6:33-35, Gideon calls out an army

Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

Once Gideon is identified as opposing Baal, emboldened by the Spirit of YHWH, Gideon takes an active role in resisting the eastern people (from across the Jordan) who are oppressing them. Several tribes are called out to form an army.

Judges 6:36-40, A fleece

Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised-- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said."

And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water.

Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew."

That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Gideon calls out the tribes but also lays out a test using a wool fleece. Twice. Apparently the result of the first test is more natural, as the fleece would tend to absorb water during the cool night. The second test is less natural and apparently more convincing to Gideon.

These tests have come down through the ages as "Gideon's fleece". I recall, as a teenager, people using the idea of this chapter to test God's direction by demanding some type of special, miraculous response. But there is nothing in the text that recommends Gideon's actions. Gideon's "laying out a fleece" here reveals his timidity and his desire to avoid the commandments clearly given him already by the supernatural messenger. In this case, the messenger seems unperturbed by Gideon's timidity and answers his tests anyway. Gideon is now locked into action.

First published June 29, 2023; updated June 29, 2026

The Problem of Large Numbers in the Old Testament

The population of Israel at the Exodus was about 600,000 men (say most Bible translations), giving a total population in the several millions, as large as a modern city such as Houston.  (See Exodus 12:37-38.) If true, this makes Israel one of the largest nations at the time, close (say archaeologists) to the total population of Egypt at the time (eg. this article on ancient Egypt) and larger than the entire population of Canaan. Yet in numerous places the wandering nation of Israel is described as "small", much smaller than those around them. (See Deuteronomy 9:1 where YHWH explains that the Israelites will dispossess larger nations and Deuteronomy 7:1 where seven Canaanite nations are described, each larger than Israel.) This argument about the "smallness" of Israel is part of YHWH's explanation that the Israelites will only be victorious only if He goes before them.

How are we to interpret these population claims? 

There are numerous places in the Old Testament where English translations give us unusually large numbers. At times an extremely large number of people are reported killed in a battle. For example, according to Judges 12:6, forty two thousand Ephraimites are killed in a dispute between Jepthah of Gilead and the tribe of Benjamin. If the NIV translation of the text is accurate then not only is this fight a massive battle larger than any in the American Civil War, but the Ephraimite dead exceed the total population of that tribe as given a generation or two previously in Numbers 26:37. Similar examples abound in this book of Judges and also appear in subsequent Old Testament histories such as the book of Samuel or Kings.  In the book of Esther there are similar large numbers; in Esther 9:16, the captive Jews are reported to kill 75,000 Babylonians.

Eleph

There are a variety of proposals on how one interpret these issues.  I outline some of these proposals here, restricting myself to suggestions by those who hold a high view of scripture, that is, viewing Scripture as inspired by God. To those who view scripture in this way, the "problem of large numbers" is one of interpretation and translation. One major case revolves around the translation of the Hebrew word eleph (אֶלֶף). As mentioned previously, this word is usually translated "thousand" but can also be translated "clan" or "military unit". It is translated "head of a family member" in Joshua 22:14, for example and translated "clan" in Gideon's statement in Judges 6:15. In neither place does the translation "thousand" make sense. (As a mathematician, I certainly react to translating Gideon's statement as "my thousand is smaller than all the other thousands"!) 

We are asking questions about ancient writings accumulated across almost one thousand years. The ancient language of Hebrew, like all languages, changed and evolved over time. We should be cautious in our attempts to use seventh or eighth century BC documents to translate a Hebrew word (such as eleph) that appears in a twelfth or thirteenth century BC document. This is always a difficulty for translators, including those who gave us the New International Version.

Hyperbole

There are also significant cultural issues involved in translation. One cultural issue involves the appropriate use of hyperbole.  In 1 Chronicles 12: 8, we have this account of Gadite warriors in David's army:

"They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains."

Most of us would recognize the hyperbole in "faces of lions" and "swift as gazelles". Does this hyperbole continue further down the page when, in 1 Chronicles 12:14, these same warriors were described as 

"...the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand,"

And later in the same chapter, in the statements about the power of David's army, we see in 1 Chronicles 12:33, that the portion from the single tribe of Zebulun were

"...experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, 

to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;"

If we recognize hyperbole in the earlier descriptions, is it possible that this same hyperbole occurs with the numbers of soldiers in the second half of that chapter? Some commentators argue that this type of numerical hyperbole was common throughout the ancient Near East and that numbers had a different role in that culture than they might in our culture.

In our culture, with a modern emphasis on science and mathematics, we rarely use numbers in hyperbolic form.  We might use "million" to mean "a lot", but if we write out a more specific number, then the specificity of the number removes our acceptance of hyperbole. I am not sure of the ANE culture's view of numbers, but hyperbole in war reports was common.

Fouts

A number of experts have weighed in on this. Scott McKnight, in "War language as hyperbole", in Christianity Today, describes the hyperbolic language common to the ancient Near East. This article at GotQuestions.org describes four possible approaches to the population during the Exodus. David Fouts, first a Th.D. student at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1992 and then an associate professor at Bryan College, wrote a thesis on The Use of Large Numbers in the Old Testament and then published an article on this issue. (The thesis is here and the article is here. Both links take one to pdf files.) Since Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, is a well-known evangelical seminary (and I have good friends who got degrees there), I will summarize some of Fouts's argument.

Among several arguments Fouts emphasizes the common occurrence of hyperbolic language. In regards to the population of Israel in Egypt, Fouts points to numerous places where the text assumes that the nation is relatively small. Besides the statements above where the other nations are described as much larger, it appears that at the beginning of Exodus there are only two midwives for the nation. Later Moses is able to communicate to the people as a whole and, until his father-in-law Jethro intervenes, Moses seems to be the single judge of disputes. Fouts also lists some examples in the book of Numbers and then looks at the passage in 1 Kings 20:29-30 where

"... The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot 

soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, 

where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them..."

Fouts describes this as classic ANE hyperbole, typical of a victory report and argues that 100,000 casualties is not realistic, nor is it possible for a wall collapse to kill 27,000.

I found the article by Fouts to be enlightening. I recommend it.  It is ten pages.

Rabbit holes

An old article by J. W. Wenham, Large Numbers in the Old Testament, describes places where various Old Testament manuscripts drop or add a digit, or have other glosses, small glosses caused by many centuries of translation.

With the various sources cited, I am sure I have provided enough rabbit holes for readers to investigate, should the "problem" of large numbers be of interest.  Feel free to ask questions or react further in the comments!  

I know that this Old Testament blog has a million avid readers!!  ;-)

First published June 25, 2023; updated June 28, 2026

Judges 5, Deborah's Song

Deborah has defeated Sisera and his army. Like Moses and Miriam before her, she sings praises to her God.

Judges 5:1-3, Sing praises!

On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

"When the princes in Israel take the lead, 

when the people willingly offer themselves-- praise the LORD!

"Hear this, you kings! 

Listen, you rulers! 

I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; 

I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Deborah and Barak sing a song of praise to YHWH who has led them out of oppression. A song of praise will always be a deep, important part of Hebrew worship, with the Old Testament songbook, The Psalms, as its high point.

Judges 5:4-6, YHWH marched out and the earth shook!

"O LORD, when you went out from Seir, 

when you marched from the land of Edom, 

the earth shook, 

the heavens poured, 

the clouds poured down water.

The mountains quaked before the LORD,

 the One of Sinai, 

before the LORD, the God of Israel.

"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, 

in the days of Jael, 

the roads were abandoned; 

travelers took to winding paths.

It is God that marched out, not just Deborah and her soldiers. Briefly, Shamgar is mentioned again.  (He is mentioned earlier, briefly, in Judges 3:31.) The societal disruption caused by the oppressors is briefly described in verses 6 and 7.

Judges 5:7-9, A mother of Israel goes to war

"Village life in Israel ceased,

 ceased until I, Deborah, arose, 

arose a mother in Israel.

When they chose new gods,

 war came to the city gates, 

and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

My heart is with Israel's princes, 

with the willing volunteers among the people. 

Praise the LORD!

As the enemy takes over Israel, Israel's villages become quiet.  But then a mother takes a stand with Israel's princes.

Judges 5:10-12, Wake up and sing!

"You who ride on white donkeys, 

sitting on your saddle blankets, 

and you who walk along the road, 

consider the voice of the singers at the watering places. 

They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, 

the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. 

"Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.

`Wake up, wake up, Deborah! 

Wake up, wake up, break out in song! 

Arise, O Barak! 

Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.'

Both the rich who comfortably ride, seated on soft blankets on white donkeys, and the poor ,who walk along the road, both rich and poor, everyone is to rejoice and sing! The people congregate at the city gates to rejoice, shout and sing.

Judges 5:13-15a, Tribes rise up

"Then the men who were left came down to the nobles;

 the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty.

Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; 

Benjamin was with the people who followed you. 

From Makir captains came down, 

from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff.

The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; 

yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. 

Volunteers from numerous tribes joined Deborah and Barak. These tribes include Ephraim, Benjamin, Mannaseh, Zebulun and Issachar. (Makir is another name for Manasseh; Makir was Manasseh's son.)

Judges 5:15b-18, Various clans react

In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.

Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? 

In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.

Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. 

And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? 

Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.

The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; 

so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.

Not everyone volunteers to fight. The people of Reuben have mixed reactions to the call to war. The people of Gilead (most likely Manasseh) east of the Jordan stay at home. Dan and Asher also stay at home. 

But Zebulun and Naphtali, already led by Deborah and Barak, are in the center of the fight.

Judges 5:19-22, Sisera is swept away

"Kings came, they fought; 

the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, 

but they carried off no silver, no plunder.

From the heavens the stars fought, 

from their courses they fought against Sisera.

The river Kishon swept them away, 

the age-old river, the river Kishon. 

March on, my soul; be strong!

Then thundered the horses' hoofs-- 

galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.

Even the stars fight on YHWH's side, says Deborah. The river Kishon, running across the Jezreel valley, sweeps away Sisera's men.

Judges 5:23-27, Curse Meroz, bless Jael

`Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 

`Curse its people bitterly, 

because they did not come to help the LORD, 

to help the LORD against the mighty.'

"Most blessed of women be Jael, 

the wife of Heber the Kenite, 

most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

He asked for water, 

and she gave him milk; 

in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

Her hand reached for the tent peg, 

her right hand for the workman's hammer. 

She struck Sisera, 

she crushed his head, 

she shattered and pierced his temple.

At her feet he sank, 

he fell; 

there he lay. 

At her feet he sank, 

he fell; 

where he sank, 

there he fell--

dead.

Jael's killing is described in song.  There are two women of valor in this story and Jael is praised as "most blessed." We note that Jael, used by YHWH to bring victory, is a Kenite, not an Israelite.

Little is known of Meroz. Possibly this was a clan of Israel that refused to battle Sisera. 

A poetic repetition ("sank ... fell ... lay ... sank ... fell ... sank ... fell ... dead!") ends this account of Sisera's death.

Judges 5:28-30, Sisera's mother waits

"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; 

behind the lattice she cried out, 

`Why is his chariot so long in coming? 

Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'

The wisest of her ladies answer her; 

indeed, she keeps saying to herself,

`Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: 

a girl or two for each man, 

colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, 

colorful garments embroidered, 

highly embroidered garments for my neck--

 all this as plunder?'

There is no happiness for the supporters of Sisera. Sisera's mother is pictured as peering through a window lattice, waiting for her son. Less we have any sympathy for Sisera's mother, longing for a son who will not come home, we are reminded that had Sisera been victorious, there would have been many Jewish mothers waiting for sons that did not return.

The expected plunders of Sisera include "a girl of two for each man". This callous description of girls as spoils of war includes an interesting Hebrew word for girl: racham. This word is sometimes used to indicate strong emotion, lovingkindness, or mercy but has the same root as rechem, which is literally "womb". Commentators Wolf and Webb suggest that the sexual nature of womb is indeed intended here -- Sisera's plunder would include "a womb or two for each man". We are to have no sympathy for Sisera!

As we saw in Deuteronomy, colorfully dyed garments were very precious and valuable. They too would be spoils of war and the lady-in-waiting imagines a precious embroidered garment around her neck. 

Judges 5:31, YHWH rules in Israel

"So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! 

But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." 

Then the land had peace forty years.

Deborah, like Jewish women before her (eg. Miriam) praises God in song. The song ends with a brief summary of peace for a generation.

First published June 28, 2023; updated June 27, 2026