Gideon — Bible person

Called also Jerubbaal (Judg. 6:29, 32), was the first of the judges whose history is circumstantially narrated (Judg. 6-8). His calling is the commencement of the second period in the history of the judges. After the victory gained by Deborah and Barak over Jabin, Israel once more sank into idolatry, and the Midianites (q.v.) and Amalekites, with other “children of the east,” crossed the Jordan each year for seven successive years for the purpose of plundering and desolating the land. Gideon received a direct call from God to undertake the task of delivering the land from these warlike invaders. He was of the family of Abiezer (Josh. 17:2; 1 Chr. 7:18), and of the little township of Ophrah (Judg. 6:11). First, with ten of his servants, he overthrew the altars of Baal and cut down the asherah which was upon it, and then blew the trumpet of alarm, and the people flocked to his standard on the crest of Mount Gilboa to the number of twenty-two thousand men. These were, however, reduced to only three hundred. These, strangely armed with torches and pitchers and trumpets, rushed in from three different points on the camp of Midian at midnight, in the valley to the north of Moreh, with the terrible war-cry, “For the Lord and for Gideon” (Judg. 7:18, R.V.). Terror-stricken, the Midianites were put into dire confusion, and in the darkness slew one another, so that only fifteen thousand out of the great army of one hundred and twenty thousand escaped alive. The memory of this great deliverance impressed itself deeply on the mind of the nation (1 Sam. 12:11; Ps. 83:11; Isa. 9:4; 10:26; Heb. 11:32). The land had now rest for forty years. Gideon died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of his fathers. Soon after his death a change came over the people. They again forgot Jehovah, and turned to the worship of Baalim, “neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal” (Judg. 8:35). Gideon left behind him seventy sons, a feeble, sadly degenerated race, with one exception, that of Abimelech, who seems to have had much of the courage and energy of his father, yet of restless and unscrupulous ambition. He gathered around him a band who slaughtered all Gideon’s sons, except Jotham, upon one stone.

People and places

Selected passages

Show passage in OET: JDG 7:15-22

OET-RV JDG 7:15

15 When Gid’on heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he thanked God, then they returned to their camp and commanded, “Get ready to go because Yahweh has given you all victory over the Midyanite camp.”

OET-RV JDG 7:16

16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three units, and gave each of them rams’ horns and clay jars with burning torches inside them,

OET-RV JDG 7:17

17 and instructed them, “Watch me and do what I do. See, when I get to the edge of their camp, do the same as me.

OET-RV JDG 7:18

18 When I blow the ram’s horn trumpet, all of you with horns should blow them and everyone will shout, ‘For Yahweh and for Gid’on!’ ”

OET-RV JDG 7:19

19 When Gid’on and the hundred men with him got to the edge of the camp, it was the beginning of the middle nightwatch and the fresh guards had just gotten into their places. Gid’on and his unit blew their trumpets and smashed the jars that they were carrying.

OET-RV JDG 7:20

20 Then all three units blew the trumpets and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, and they shouted out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gid’on.”

OET-RV JDG 7:21

21 Then everyone stood in their place around the camp, but the Midyanite army cried out in alarm and took off.

OET-RV JDG 7:22

22 When the three hundred ram’s horns sounded, Yahweh caused the Midyanite army to start fighting each other with their swords, and the army fled as far as Beyt -Hashitah (towards Tsererah) and towards the border of Avel-Meholah (towards Tabat).

OET-LV JDG 7:15

15 And_he/it _was just_ Gidˊōn _as _heard DOM the _recounting _of the_dream and_DOM interpretation _of_its and_he _bowed _down and_he _returned to the _camp _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_he/it _said arise if/because YHWH he _has _given in_hand _of_your(pl) DOM the _camp _of Midyān.

OET-LV JDG 7:16

16 And_he _divided DOM three hundred(s) the_man three companies and_he/it _gave trumpets in_the _hand _of all _of _them _of_their and_jars empty and_torches in _the_middle of_the _jars.

OET-LV JDG 7:17

17 And_he/it _said to_them from_me you(pl)_will _see and_thus/so/as _follows you(pl)_will _do and_BEHOLD/LO/SEE I will _be_coming in_the _edge _of the _camp and_it _was just_as I _will _do so you(pl)_will _do.

OET-LV JDG 7:18

18 And_I _will _give _a _blast on_trumpet I and_all those_who are_with_me and_you(pl)_will _give _a _blast on_trumpets also you(pl) all _around _of all _of the_camp and_you(pl)_will _say to/for_YHWH and_for_Gidˊōn.

OET-LV JDG 7:19

19 And_ Gidˊōn and_one _hundred man who with_him/it _he _went in_the _edge _of the _camp the _beginning _of the _watch (the)_middle just just _(station) they _had _stationed DOM the_watchmen and_they _gave _a _blast on_trumpets and_they _smashed the_jars which were_in_hand _of_their.

OET-LV JDG 7:20

20 And_ the _three _of the_companies _they _gave _a _blast on_trumpets and_they _broke the_jars and_they _took _hold in_the _hand _of their _left _of_their on_torches and_in_the _hand _of their _right _side _of_their the_trumpets to_give _a _blast and_they _called _out a _sword to/for_YHWH and_for_Gidˊōn.

OET-LV JDG 7:21

21 And_they _stood everyone in_his _place round _about (to)_camp and_ all _of the_army _it _ran and_they _shouted _in _distress and.

OET-LV JDG 7:22

22 And_they _gave _a _blast the _three (the)_hundred(s) the_trumpets and_ YHWH _he/it _assigned DOM the_sword _of each on_neighbour _of_his and_on/over_all the_army and_ the_army _it _fled to Bēyt Shittah towards_Tsərērāh/(Zererah) to the _border _of Abel at Ţabat.

Jump to OET JDG 6:11–24 section.

Jump to OET JDG 7:15–22 section.

Recorded scripture occurrences (49)

References recorded in the source data; this is not an exhaustive list of mentions.

Show passage in OET: JDG 6:11

OET-RV JDG 6:11

11 One day Yahweh’s messenger came and sat beneath the oak tree in the town of Ofrah. (The tree belonged to the Aviezri, Yoash.) Yoah’s son Gid’on was beating wheat down in a wine-pressing pit to hide it from the Midyanites

OET-LV JDG 6:11

11 And_ the _messenger _of YHWH _he _came and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived under the_terebinth which was_in_ˊOfrāh which belonged_to_Yōʼāsh/(Joash) the _Abi- ezrite and_Gidˊōn his/its_son was_beating _out wheat(s) in_winepress to_hide_it from_face/in _front _of Midyān.

Show passage in OET: JDG 6:13

OET-RV JDG 6:13

13 “With me, my master?” Gid’on asked. “If Yahweh is with us, then why’s all of this happened to us? Where are all of the miracles that our ancestors told us about, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up out of Mitsrayim?’ But now Yahweh has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midyanites.”

OET-LV JDG 6:13

13 And_he/it _said to_him/it Gidˊōn pardon _me my_master and_(there) YHWH is_with_us and_for_what has_it _found _us all _of this and_where are_all _of wonders _of_his which they _recounted to/for_us fathers _of_our to_say not from_Miʦrayim/(Egypt) did_he _bring _us _up YHWH and_now he_has _abandoned _us YHWH and_he_has _given _us in_the _palm _of Midyān.

Show passage in OET: JDG 6:19

OET-RV JDG 6:19

19 Then Gid’on went a prepared a young goat and unrisen bread. He put the meat in a basket and the soup in a pot and brought them out to the oak tree and offered them to him.

OET-LV JDG 6:19

19 And_Gidˊōn he _went and_he/it _made a _kid _of goats and_an _ʼēyfāh _of flour _of unleavened _bread(s) the_meat he _put in_basket and_the_broth he _put in_pot and_he _brought_them_out to_him/it to under the_terebinth and_he _brought_them_near.

Jump to OET JDG 6:11 section.

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Jump to OET JDG 6:19 section.

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