In brief
Gideon, son of Joash, from the tribe of Manasseh, is a judge of Israel. In his day Midian ravages the land for seven years. The angel of Yahweh finds him fearful and tells him: “Go in this your might.” After tearing down his father’s altar of Baal and asking God for signs, he delivers Israel with only three hundred men, armed with trumpets, jars and torches. The lesson to keep is that God chooses the small and reduces human means so that the glory goes to him.
What does the name Gideon mean?
His name is generally linked to a Hebrew verb meaning to cut down or to hew, which fits his fight against idols and armies. The Bible adds that he also received the name Jerubbaal, meaning that Baal should contend against him, after he tore down the altar of Baal (Judges 6:32).
The story of Gideon
A People Crushed by Midian
Judges 6:1-10Because Israel has done what displeases Yahweh, Midian rules the land for seven years. The Israelites hide in ravines and caves, and their harvests are destroyed by invaders as numerous as locusts. The people finally cry out to Yahweh, who sends them a prophet to remind them of the deliverance from Egypt and the call not to fear the gods of the Amorites.
The Call of the Least One
Judges 6:11-24The angel of Yahweh speaks to Gideon, who is threshing wheat in hiding, and announces that God is with him. Gideon objects that his family is the poorest in Manasseh and that he is the least in his father’s house. God answers: “I will be with you.” Gideon asks for a sign, and fire from the rock consumes his offering.
The Altar of Baal Torn Down
Judges 6:25-32God tells Gideon to demolish the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that belong to his father, then to offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. Gideon obeys, but by night, because he fears the men of the town. In the morning the town wants him dead, but his father Joash defends him: if Baal is a god, let him plead his own cause.
The Fleece and the Signs
Judges 6:33-40The Spirit of Yahweh clothes Gideon, and Israel gathers behind him. Yet he asks for one more confirmation: a fleece of wool, first wet with dew while the ground stays dry, then dry while the ground is wet. God grants both signs, patiently, without reproaching Gideon for his hesitation.
Three Hundred Men Are Enough
Judges 7:1-8Israel’s army is too large for the victory to be credited to God. Twenty-two thousand fearful men go home, then God has the remaining ten thousand sorted at the water. Only three hundred men are kept. God explains his purpose: Israel must not be able to say that its own hand delivered it.
Broken Jars and Torches
Judges 7:9-25Reassured by the dream of a Midianite soldier, Gideon bows down and wakes his camp. He divides his three hundred men into three companies, with trumpets and empty jars containing torches. At the signal, all blow, break the jars and shout. Yahweh throws the enemy camp into panic, and it flees, while Ephraim finishes the pursuit.
After the Victory
Judges 8Gideon calms the men of Ephraim with his gentleness, then pursues the kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and captures them. The men of Israel want to make him their ruler, but he refuses: Yahweh must rule. Yet he asks for the gold from the plunder to make an ephod, which becomes a snare for him and his household.
What Gideon teaches us
- God does not look at you through your fears: he speaks to the one you will become as you walk with him.
- You do not need to be great to be useful, because strength comes from God’s presence and not from your profile.
- God sometimes reduces your means so that you know to whom the victory belongs.
- Obeying in something difficult, even by night and with fear, opens the door to public victories.
- The signs Gideon asks for show God’s patience, but they do not replace trust in his word.
Key verses
“Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?” God sends Gideon as he is, with the strength he already has, because the sending comes from God.
“Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” God’s answer to Gideon’s weakness is not praise for his qualities, it is the promise of his presence.
God says the people are too many for him to give Midian into their hands, because they might boast against him. This verse explains why the army is reduced to three hundred men.
Sermons about Gideon
- Go with the Strength You Have: Gideon's CallGideon threshes wheat in a winepress to hide it from the enemy, and God calls him “mighty man of valor” and tells him to go with the strength he has. A call for anyone in survival mode.
- The Art of Being Weak: Gideon's Lesson on True StrengthGod brings the army down from 32,000 to 300 men and deliberately weakens Gideon before giving him the victory. Paul says the same thing: “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Gideon?
The Bible says nothing of his qualities. Gideon calls himself the least in his father’s house, from a poor family. God chooses him so that Israel cannot say its own hand delivered it (Judges 7:2). His call rests on God’s presence, who promises: “I will be with you.”
What does the name Gideon mean?
His name is generally linked to a Hebrew verb meaning to cut down or to hew, which fits the destruction of the altar of Baal and the defeat of Midian. The Bible also gives the name Jerubbaal, meaning that Baal should contend against him, after the altar was torn down (Judges 6:32).
Where can I find the story of Gideon in the Bible?
The story of Gideon is in the book of Judges, chapters 6 to 8. Chapter 6 tells of his call, the altar of Baal and the fleece. Chapter 7 tells of the three hundred men and the victory, and chapter 8 the pursuit of the kings of Midian and the ephod.