Jdg 6:11-8:35.
Heb 11:32 counting from G, from Barak, from Samson
Gideon (Heb. Gidôn, “woodcutter”, “stonecutter” or “warrior”; Gr. Gideon). He judge and liberator of the Hebrews, son of Joash of the family of Abiezer, who lived in Ofra, western Manasseh (Jdg 6:11). During a period of Midianite oppression, while he was threshing wheat in a press at Ofrah to hide his harvest from the Midianites, Gideon was called by the angel of the Lord to deliver Israel. He responded with a sacrifice, and the next night he tore down the local Baal altar and built one dedicated to Yahweh (Jdg 6:12-27). The angry locals protested violently and demanded Gideon’s death, but Gideon’s father defended him, insisting that Baal should be able to defend himself. This incident earned Gideon the name Jerubbaal* (vs 28-32); but later, when the name “Baal” was frowned upon, it was changed to Jerubeset (Heb. Yerubesheth) in the Hebrew text (the LXX keeps “Jerobaal”; 2Sa 11:21). Having received divine appointment from him, Gideon summoned the men of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to make an attack on the Midianites (Jdg 6:33-35). Then, frightened, he asked for a confirmation of his divine call, which was granted (vs 36-40). So that the people could recognize that victory would not be the result of human ability or strength, God directed that the fighting forces be reduced, with the result that all but 300 were eliminated. With the 300 men blowing their trumpets, shouting and smashing the pots inside which they had hidden torches, Gideon attacked by night. Taken by surprise, the Midianites panicked, each soldier fighting his companion, and the army fled. The Ephraimites, instructed by Gideon to cut off escape routes at the Jordan, seized 2 of the Midian princes and sent their heads to Gideon. Gideon continued the pursuit across the Jordan, capturing and killing 2 other Midianite princes 484 (7:1-8:21). This remarkable victory later became known as the “day of Midian” (Isa. 9:4; cf. 10:26; Psa 83:9). Gideon refused the people’s offer to make him king, recognizing that God was their only king (Jdg 8:22, 23). However, he acted foolishly by making an ephod out of the jewels brought by Israel and displaying it in his hometown of Ofrah. This ephod became an object of worship and a means of falling into idolatry (vs 24-27). He had a large harem and seems to have given himself up to the good life. After judging Israel for 40 years, he died at an old age and was buried in Ofra (vs 28, 32). After Gideon’s death, Abimelech, his son by a concubine, murdered all but one of Gideon’s sons and became king (vs 30, 31; 9: 1-6).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
(Heb., Gidh†™on, woodcutter or feller). Son of Joash, Abiezrite (Jdg 6:11) who lived in Ofra, not far from Mount Gerizim. Gideon’s record is found in Jdg 6:1—Jdg 9:6. A supernatural fire that consumed Gideon’s sacrifice (Jdg 6:17-23) testified to the fact that the messenger who called Gideon to lead Israel was from God.
Gideon answered the call and, with several friends, pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred grove that surrounded it. He erected a new altar in its place, calling it Jehovah-shalom, † œThe Lord is Peace † (Jdg 6:24). Baal’s followers wanted to kill him but his father intervened. Instead of death, they gave him a new name, Jerobaal, or “Baal contend against him” (Jdg 6:28-32). Gideon then called on the neighboring tribes to fight against the Midianites. Having assembled a formidable host, he sought confirmation of his task and thus performed the famous test of the fleece (Jdg 6: 36-40; compare Jdg 7: 9-14). To prevent human boasting, God reduced Gideon’s force from 32,000 men to 300 (Jdg 7:1-8).
Gideon’s night attack with 3 groups of 100 each surprised the sleeping Midianites, who killed each other as they retreated (Jdg 7:15-22). The territory was liberated up to the Jordan (Jdg 7:22-23; Jdg 8:1-21). When the people wanted to make him king, Gideon refused. He served 40 years as a judge (Jdg 8:28) and had 71 children (Jdg 8:30). One, Abimelech, by a concubine of Shechem (Jdg 8:31), destroyed 69 of them; Jotham escaped by hiding (Jdg 9:1-6).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(overwhelming, devastating).
Judge of Israel, peasant, called by God: (Jue.6 to 8). With 300 field people he defeated 135,000 Midianite soldiers, because the Spirit of God was with Gideon: (6:34, 7: 6,22, 8:10).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
Although his story is not accompanied by the traditional phrase: “He judged Israel…”, G. is recognized as one of the judges. He saved Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. these, together with the “Amalekites and the sons of the east,” invaded the land, carrying off the crops and leaving destruction behind them. The angel of Jehovah visited G., when he † œwas beating the wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites †. When the angel encouraged him to free the people from him, G., hesitating, asked: † œWith what?… †. But he offered a meal to the angel, who told him to put it on a rock and made fire come down from heaven and consume it. Then he disappeared. G. understood that he had been dealing with God, and he was afraid. But the Lord comforted him. There G. built an altar which he called † œJehovah-shalom †. Then, following divine instructions, he destroyed the altar of † ¢ Baal that his father had, as well as † œthe image of Asherah that was next to it †. When the inhabitants of the place wanted to kill him for this, G.’s father said that if Baal was a god he must contend † œfor himself with whom he knocked down his altar †. This is why G. was called “Jerobaal”, which means: “Baal contends against him”.
The Midianites attacked again, crossing the Jordan and camping in the valley of †¢Jezreel. “The Spirit of Jehovah came upon G.† , who summoned the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to go to battle. But since he was still hesitating, he asked God for a sign confirming that he was going to give him victory. He put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor, asking that it be full of dew in the morning while the threshing floor remained dry. He then requested that the fleece appear dry while the threshing floor appear totally wet. Both times God pleased him (Judges 6:1-40).
The Lord told him that the people who had come to the fight were many and that he did not want them to think that after the victory they had achieved it by their own strength. May he therefore return to their homes all who fear. I made the proclamation, “twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.” Then the Lord ordered G. to take his men to drink water and see how each of them did. Three hundred drank “holding the water with their hands to their mouths.” God decided that with them he would free the Israelites, so the rest were dispatched.
His grace, the Lord gave another sign to G., sending him near the enemy camp, where he would hear something that would confirm his faith. Indeed, G. heard two Midianites conversing. One of them recounted a dream and his companion interpreted it as an announcement that the victory was going to be G’s. At this, G. gave his men † trumpets in their hands, and empty pitchers with burning torches inside the jars. pitchers †. He divided his troop into three squadrons and at his signal they broke the pitchers, blew the trumpets and cried out: † œBy the sword of the Lord and of G. †. A great confusion arose in the camp of the enemies, who fled. Two Midianite princes, †¢Oreb and †¢Zeeb, were killed.
G. sent a message to the tribe of Ephraim to take the fords of the Jordan, in order to cut off the retreat of the Amalekites. The Ephraimites protested that they had not been called to war, but G. convinced them that their action could also be very important. Those from †¢Sukkot and †¢Peniel refused to give food to those who persecuted the Midianites. But when G. returned victorious, he severely punished those of these cities. †¢Zeba and †¢Zalmuna, kings of the Midianites, were taken prisoner and confessed to having killed some of Gideon’s brothers, for which they were executed.
victory over the Midianites would be remembered as a very special event in Israel’s history (Ps 83:11; Isa 9:4; Isa 10:26). The Israelites wanted to make G. king, but he refused, saying: “Jehovah will rule over you.” Thus appeared for the first time the desire of the people to abandon their tribal organization and found a dynasty. G. asked that they give him a good part of the booty, including gold, jewels and purple garments with which he made an † ¢ ephod that later † † stumped G. and his house †. The long account of the events of G. indicates the importance that was attributed to his role in the period between the entrance to the land of Canaan and the implantation of the monarchy. G. had seventy sons and died “in Ophra of the Abiezrites” (Jdg 8:1-32).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, BIOG JUDGE HOMB HOAT
vet, = “sharp”. Son of Joash, of the family of Abiezer, of the tribe of Manasseh; he lived in Ofra (Judges 6:11). While he was threshing the wheat in the winepress at Ofrah to keep it from the Midianite bandits, Jehovah’s angel called him to deliver the people from him (Judges 6:12-24). Gideon immediately offered a sacrifice (cf. Ex. 20:24). That same night he pulled down the altar of Baal, which belonged to his father, and erected an altar to Jehovah (Judges 6:25-27). The townspeople demanded Gideon’s death, but his father argued that Baal himself must plead his cause, if he were a god. Gideon received the name of Jerobaal: “Let Baal contend.” Gideon summoned the men of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali (Judges 6:35). He hesitated, however, about answering the call, until it was confirmed by the double miracle of the woolen fleece (Judges 6:36-40). He reduced the number of his troops from 32,000 men to 300, so that the glory of victory would not be attributed to man, but to God. He then attacked the Midianite camp, which was in the Jezreel Valley (Judges 6:33), near the hill of More (Judges 7:1). In their disarray, the Midianites fled toward the Jordan and toward their country (near the Gulf of Ikaba) (Judges 7:24-8:3). Gideon and his men pursued the Midianites to the ends of the desert; They took the two kings of Midian prisoner, and then Gideon put them to death (Judges 8:4-21). The Israelites wanted to offer the crown to Gideon, who rejected it, reaffirming the theocratic principle: Jehovah was the king of Israel (Judges 8:22). So Gideon made an ephod out of the gold earrings of the Midianites. He put it in Ofra, in the place that…