Gideon

How Nave’s arranged it

• Call of, by an angelJudges 6:11Judges 6:14
• His excusesJudges 6:15
• Promises of the Lord toJudges 6:16
• Angel attests the call to, by miracleJudges 6:21–24
• He destroys the altar of Baal, and builds one to the LordJudges 6:25–27
• His prayer testsJudges 6:36–40
• Leads an army against and defeats the MidianitesJudges 6:33–35Judges 7Judges 8:4–12
• Reproaches the Ephraimites for not joining in the campaign against the MidianitesJudges 8:1–3
• Avenges himself upon the people of SuccothJudges 8:14–17
• Israel desires to make him king; he refusesJudges 8:22Judges 8:23
• Makes an ephod which becomes a snare to the IsraelitesJudges 8:24–27
• Had seventy sonsJudges 8:30

The passages, in Bible order (18)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Judges 6:11

   Then 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 hide it from the Midianites.

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:112 voices

   “In Ophrah - In Manasseh: there was another Ophrah in Benjamin, Josh. xviii, 23. The Abi-ezrite - Of the posterity of Abiezer. Threshed - Not with oxen, as the manner was, Deut. xxv, 4, but with a staff to prevent discovery.

   “An oak - “The oak,” indicating it as a well-known tree, still standing in the writer’s days. There was another Ophrah in Benjamin Jos 18:23. This Ophrah was in Manasseh, and was the village of Joash, the head, apparently, of the family of Abiezer, which was one of the families of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh Num 26:30.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:11→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Judges 6:14

   The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:141 voice

   “Go in this thy might - What does the angel mean? He had just stated that Jehovah was with him; and he now says, Go in This thy might, i.e., in the might of Jehovah, who is with thee.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:14→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Judges 6:15

   “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:151 voice

   “My family - Hebrew. my thousand: for the tribes were distributed into several thousands, whereof each thousand had his peculiar governor. Is poor - That is, weak and contemptible.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:15→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Judges 6:16

   “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:161 voice

   “Thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man - Thou shalt as surely conquer all their host as if thou hadst but one man to contend with; or, Thou shalt destroy them to a man.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:16→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Judges 6:21–24

   Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:21–242 voices

   “The flesh seems to have been roasted, which is done by cutting it into kobab, that is, into small pieces, fixed on a skewer, and put before the fire. The broth was for immediate use; the other, brought in a hand-basket was intended to be a future supply to the traveller.

   “The angel - put forth the end of the staff - He appeared like a traveler with a staff in his hand; this he put forth, and having touched the flesh, fire rose out of the rock and consumed it. Here was the most evident proof of supernatural agency. Then the angel - departed out of his sight - Though the angel vanished out of his sight, yet God continued to converse with him either by secret inspiration in his own heart, or by an audible voice.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:21–24→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Judges 6:25–27

   On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:25–272 voices

   “Then the man, instructed and fore-knowing what was to be, observes the heavenly mysteries, and therefore, according to the warning, slew the bullock destined by his father to idols, and himself offered to God another bullock seven years old. By doing which he most plainly showed that after the coming of the Lord all Gentile sacrifices should be done away, and that only the sacrifice of the Lord's passion should be offered for the redemption of the people.

   “Even - Rather, as in the margin, and. Two bullocks are spoken of. The labor of both would be required for pulling down and removing the altar of Baal, and for bringing the materials for building the altar of Yahweh. The grove by it - Rather, “the idol upon it,” the Asherah, the wooden image of Astarte Jdg 3:7.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:25–27→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Judges 6:33–35

   Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:33–351 voice

   “A fresh invasion, and the last, of Midianites Amalekites, and Arabs (see Jdg 6:3). But the Israelites, instead of hiding in dens and caves, and tamely leaving all their substance as pIunder to the invaders, now rally around their leader.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:33–35→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Judges 6:36–40

   Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:36–401 voice

   “Some one perhaps will enquire whether he does not seem to have been wanting in faith, seeing that after being instructed by many signs he asked still more. But how can he seem to have asked as if doubting or wanting in faith, who was speaking in mysteries? He was not then doubtful, but careful that we should not doubt. For how could he be doubtful whose prayer was effectual?

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:36–40→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Judges 7:1

   Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.

   ›Commentary on Judges 7:11 voice

   “The well of Harod - i. e. of trembling, evidently so called from the people who were afraid Jdg 7:3. It is identified with great probability with Ain Jalud, a spacious pool at the foot of Gilboa; (by Conder, with Ain el Jem’ain (the spring of the two troops)). Moreh was, probably, the little Hermon, the Jebel ed-Duhy of the Arabs, which encloses the plain two or three miles north of Gilboa, which shuts it in on the south.

   Everything gathered on Judges 7:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Judges 8:1–3

    Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.

    ›Commentary on Judges 8:1–31 voice

    “The success of Gideon’s enterprise mortified the pride of Ephraim, as the chief tribe, seeing that they had played a subordinate part. Compare Jdg 12:1.

    Everything gathered on Judges 8:1–3→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Judges 8:4–12

    Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

    ›Commentary on Judges 8:4–121 voice

    Faint, yet pursuing - The Vulgate paraphrases this, et prae lassitudine, fugientes persequi non poterant; “and, through fatigue, unable to pursue the fugitives.”

    Everything gathered on Judges 8:4–12→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Judges 8:14–17

    There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Judges 8:22

    Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

    ›Commentary on Judges 8:221 voice

    “Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son - That is, Become our king, and let the crown be hereditary in thy family. What a weak, foolish, and inconstant people were these! As yet their government was a theocracy; and now, dazzled with the success of a man who was only an instrument in the hands of God to deliver them from their enemies, they wish to throw off the Divine yoke, and shackle themselves with an unlimited hereditary monarchy!

    Everything gathered on Judges 8:22→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Judges 8:23

    But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”

    ›Commentary on Judges 8:232 voices

    “But Gideon knew too well, and revered too piously the principles of the theocracy, to entertain the proposal for a moment. Personal and family ambition was cheerfully sacrificed to a sense of duty, and every worldly motive was kept in check by a supreme regard to the divine honor. He would willingly act as judge, but the Lord alone was King of Israel.

    “The Lord shall rule over you - Few with such power at their command would have acted as Gideon. His speech calls them back to their first principles, and should have excited in them both shame and contrition. How different is this speech from that of Oliver Cromwell when the commons offered him the crown of England!

    Everything gathered on Judges 8:23→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Judges 8:24–27

    Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

    ›Commentary on Judges 8:24–272 voices

    “Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you--This was the contribution of an earring (singular). As the ancient Arabians (Ishmaelites and Midianites being synonymous terms, Ge 37:25, 28) were gorgeously adorned with barbaric pearl and gold, an immense amount of such valuable booty had fallen into the hands of the Israelitish soldiers.

    “Give me every man the ear-rings of his prey - The spoils taken from their enemies in this warfare. This is a transaction very like to that of the Israelites and Aaron; when they brought him their golden ear-rings, out of which he made the molten calf, Exo 32:2, etc. Whether Gideon designed this ephod for an instrument of worship, or merely as a trophy, is not very clear. It is most likely that he had intended to establish a place of worship at Ophrah; and he took this occasion to provide the proper sacerdotal vestments.

    Everything gathered on Judges 8:24–27→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Judges 8:30

    Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

    Verse page →Original language →