Judges 6
Lutheran reading notes
In Judges chapter 6, the account continues the story of cycles of Israel’s disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. Lutheran interpretation frequently highlights how these events reveal both human sinfulness and God’s faithful promises. The chapter demonstrates the tension between human failure and God’s ongoing grace working through history.
1
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
Judges 6:1 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
2
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: {and} because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which {are} in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. {prevailed: Heb. was strong}
Judges 6:2 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
3
And {so} it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
Judges 6:3 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
4
And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. {sheep: or goat}
Judges 6:4 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; {for} both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
Judges 6:5 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
Judges 6:6 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
7
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
Judges 6:7 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
8
That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; {a prophet: Heb. a man a prophet}
Judges 6:8 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
9
And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
Judges 6:9 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
10
And I said unto you, I {am} the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
Judges 6:10 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
11
And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which {was} in Ophrah, that {pertained} unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide {it} from the Midianites. {Gideon: Gr. Gedeon} {to hide...: Heb. to cause it to flee}
Judges 6:11 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD {is} with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Judges 6:12 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
13
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where {be} all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Judges 6:13 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
14
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Judges 6:14 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
15
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family {is} poor in Manasseh, and I {am} the least in my father's house. {my family...: Heb. my thousand is the meanest}
Judges 6:15 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
16
And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Judges 6:16 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
17
And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Judges 6:17 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
18
Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set {it} before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. {present: or, meat offering}
Judges 6:18 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
19
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought {it} out unto him under the oak, and presented {it}. {a kid: Heb. a kid of the goats}
Judges 6:19 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
20
And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay {them} upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Judges 6:20 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
21
Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that {was} in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
Judges 6:21 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
22
And when Gideon perceived that he {was} an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Judges 6:22 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
23
And the LORD said unto him, Peace {be} unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Judges 6:23 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
24
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it {is} yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. {Jehovahshalom: that is, The LORD send peace}
Judges 6:24 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
25
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that {is} by it: {even: or, and}
Judges 6:25 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
26
And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. {rock: Heb. strong place} {in the ordered...: or, in an orderly manner}
Judges 6:26 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
27
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and {so} it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do {it} by day, that he did {it} by night.
Judges 6:27 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
28
And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that {was} by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar {that was} built.
Judges 6:28 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
29
And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
Judges 6:29 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
30
Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that {was} by it.
Judges 6:30 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
31
And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst {it is yet} morning: if he {be} a god, let him plead for himself, because {one} hath cast down his altar.
32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. {Jerubbaal: that is, Let Baal plead} {Jerubbesheth: that is, Let the shameful thing plead}
Judges 6:32 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
33
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
Judges 6:33 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
34
But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. {came...: Heb. clothed} {gathered: Heb. called}
Judges 6:34 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
35
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. {gathered: Heb. called}
Judges 6:35 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
36
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Judges 6:36 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
37
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; {and} if the dew be on the fleece only, and {it be} dry upon all the earth {beside}, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
Judges 6:37 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
38
And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Judges 6:38 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
39
And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Judges 6:39 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
40
And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 6:40 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.