Judg 6-8 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Judg 7:1-8:32: 6:1–8:35 Gideon’s judgeship brings to a close the first period of judges. Summary for Judg 6:1-6: 6:1-6 After forty years of peace, religious syncretism had brought about political instability, and marauding nomads had reduced the Israelites to living as fugitives. • The Midianites were once thought to be a purely nomadic tribe centered in northwest Arabia, but they are now understood to have built cities and for a time to have dominated much of the Arabian Peninsula and southern Transjordan (the area east of the Jordan). They are joined here by Amalekites (who earlier were part of a Moabite coalition; see study note on 3:12-13) and the mysterious people of the east (cp. 1 Kgs 4:30 ; Ezek 25:4 , 10 ). The pattern of attack was seasonal but devastating.

Summary for Judg 7:1-8:32: 6:1–8:35 ^a Gideon’s judgeship brings to a close the first period of judges.
Summary for Judg 6:1-6: 6:1-6 ^b After forty years of peace, religious syncretism had brought about political instability, and marauding nomads had reduced the Israelites to living as fugitives.

• The Midianites were once thought to be a purely nomadic tribe centered in northwest Arabia, but they are now understood to have built cities and for a time to have dominated much of the Arabian Peninsula and southern Transjordan (the area east of the Jordan). They are joined here by Amalekites (who earlier were part of a Moabite coalition; see study note on 3:12-13) and the mysterious people of the east (cp. 1 Kgs 4:30 ^c; Ezek 25:4 ^d, 10 ^e). The pattern of attack was seasonal but devastating.
6:5 ^f Camels, known in some contexts from as early as 3000 BC, are frequently associated with eastern nomads and their raids. This may be one of the first recorded instances of camels being used in a large military force.
Summary for Judg 6:8-10: 6:8-10 ^g This unnamed prophet and Deborah are the only prophets to appear in Judges. This prophet rebuked Israel’s apostasy in language familiar from Deuteronomy onward.
Summary for Judg 6:11-32: 6:11-32 ^h Gideon encountered the angel of the Lord and emerged as a hero. He overthrew the syncretistic Baal cult of his family and town and called his people to fight in the Lord’s name.
6:12 ⁱ Mighty hero translates a Hebrew term that is elsewhere translated as “strong warriors” (Josh 6:2 ^j), pointing to Gideon’s potential military heroism, and as “the rich” (2 Kgs 15:20 ^k), pointing to his social standing as a member of a leading family.

• the Lord is with you: A commission to fight God’s war is usually accompanied by assurance of his presence (see Deut 1:30 ^l; Josh 1:1-9 ^m).
Summary for Judg 6:13-15: 6:13-15 ⁿ Like others called to be prophets or judges, Gideon was reluctant to obey. He questioned God’s presence and his own adequacy (see study note on 4:8; Exod 3:1–4:17 ^o; Jer 1:4-19 ^p).
6:15 ^q Gideon’s personal and clan status was itself insufficient to muster troops.
6:22 ^r Encounters with divine holiness are inherently dangerous (cp. Gen 32:30 ^s; Deut 5:4-5 ^t).
6:24 ^u The symbolically named altar commemorates the divine presence and favor. By the time the account was written down (to this day), the altar had probably become a pilgrimage site.
Summary for Judg 6:25-32: 6:25-32 ^v In a provocative act that was commanded by God, Gideon destroyed and desecrated a community altar to Baal and its Asherah pole. 6:25 ^w In Canaanite worship, Baal was a storm and fertility god, while Asherah was often represented as a sacred tree.
6:31 ^x The first person to follow Gideon’s inspired act of leadership and abandon Baal for the Lord was Gideon’s father Joash, who was, ironically, the keeper of the Baal shrine.
6:33 ^y The nomadic coalition (6:1-6 ^z) set up camp at the eastern end of the valley of Jezreel, which divided Israel’s central tribes from the Galilean hills.
6:34 ^aa As is typical of the inspired leaders in Judges, the Spirit clothed Gideon with power. A similar metaphor is frequent in Paul’s letters (e.g., Rom 13:12 ^ab; Gal 3:27 ^ac; Eph 4:24 ^ad; 6:11 ^ae; Col 3:10 ^af, 12 ^ag, 14 ^ah).
Summary for Judg 6:36-40: 6:36-40 ^ai The fleece incident was not a confirmation of God’s intention to use Gideon (which had already been established, 6:17-24 ^aj), but God’s indulgence in responding to the reluctant hero’s uncertainty.

‏ Judges 7

7:1 ^ak The spring of Harod and the hill of Moreh were just east of the town of Jezreel; they guarded the pass that connects the valley of Jezreel to the fords of the Jordan near Beth-shan. Gideon’s army was located on the north slope of Mount Gilboa. The Midianite hosts were in the valley below, with the hill behind them.
7:2 ^al The Lord does not require a large force to save his people (cp. 1 Sam 14:6 ^am). A large number might even have hindered success because the element of surprise was crucial to the Lord’s battle plan. Gideon was to pare down the army to maintain godly humility, not for reasons of military strategy.
7:3 ^an The first reduction sorted out those who initially responded with enthusiasm but then had second thoughts.
Summary for Judg 7:4-8: 7:4-8 ^ao The choice of those who lapped from their hands over those who knelt was apparently arbitrary, but it enabled the Lord to reduce the size of the army.
7:8 ^ap The jars (in which the men carried provisions) and trumpets borrowed from the warriors who were sent home would be used in the coming battle.
Summary for Judg 7:10-15: 7:10-15 ^aq The Lord encouraged Gideon with a third sign (6:17-21 ^ar, 36-40 ^as).
7:11 ^at With the enemy camp spread out across the valley (7:1 ^au, 12 ^av), it was easy for Gideon and his servant to sneak undetected into the camp.
Summary for Judg 7:13-14: 7:13-14 ^aw Dreams and their interpretations were often discussed in Egypt and Babylonia. The Old Testament teaches that dreams are inspired by God and are best interpreted by his revelation (see Gen 41:15-16 ^ax, 25 ^ay; Dan 2:28 ^az). The point of this dream is clear: Gideon’s band, represented as a rounded loaf of barley bread, would come tumbling down and overturn the Midianite camp.
7:16 ^ba Dividing the small band into three groups created the impression of a much larger force.
Summary for Judg 7:17-20: 7:17-20 ^bb Surprise and deception took the place of a massive army. The war cry, the sudden blast of 300 trumpets, and the torches bursting into light created the impression of a large force.
7:21 ^bc The warriors stood in place while God fought the battle (cp. Exod 14:13 ^bd; 1 Sam 12:16 ^be; Rev 19:11-16 ^bf).

• The Midianites’ camels (Judg 6:5 ^bg) might have contributed to the panic. Camels usually provided a military advantage, but in this situation they would have been a liability. They had probably been hobbled for the night, and camels themselves are subject to panic.
7:22 ^bh The fugitives fled in a southeasterly direction, past Beth-shan and toward the fords of the Jordan, trying to reach more friendly and favorable surroundings.
7:24 ^bi The shallow crossings of the Jordan were key to cutting off the escape of an army (cp. 3:28 ^bj; 12:4-6 ^bk).
7:25 ^bl Oreb (“raven”) and Zeeb (“wolf”) were military leaders, in contrast to Zebah and Zalmunna, who were kings (8:5 ^bm). This capture was commemorated in the subsequent names of the rock and winepress where they were captured.

‏ Judges 8

Summary for Judg 8:1-3: 8:1-3 ^bn Ephraim, the dominant tribe of the north-central hill country, produced only a minor judge, Tola (10:1 ^bo). The Ephraimites resented their omission from the battle, if only because they hoped for a share of the spoils. When summoned, they did the job at hand. Gideon gave a gracious and humble answer, which turned away Ephraim’s anger (see Prov 15:1 ^bp; contrast Jephthah, Judg 12:1-4 ^bq). Gideon’s and Ephraim’s victories over Oreb and Zeeb and their armies became the stuff of legend (cp. Ps 83:11-12 ^br; Isa 10:26 ^bs).
Summary for Judg 8:4-12: 8:4-12 ^bt At this point, Gideon seemed as bent on revenge as on victory, and there is an abrupt cessation of his earlier dialogue with the Lord. The core of 300 men made this final run against the Midianites.

• Gideon pursued the fleeing kings of Midian through the Jabbok gorge, then southward toward Rabbah, following the caravan route onto the Transjordan plateau.

• Succoth and Peniel were Israelite cities, but their loyalty to Gideon, an upstart general, was thin. The tribes east of the Jordan were continually exposed to the Midianites’ pressure and apparently feared the Midianites.
8:7 ^bu It was a common practice in the ancient Near East to tear the flesh of a defeated foe (cp. Amos 1:3 ^bv; Mic 4:13 ^bw).
Summary for Judg 8:8-9: 8:8-9 ^bx this tower: Towers were common in the period and have been excavated at both Succoth and Shechem (see 9:46-49 ^by).
Summary for Judg 8:10-12: 8:10-12 ^bz Apparently the Midianite remnant with its two kings felt reasonably secure, having reached the Transjordan plateau en route to their traditional desert haunts. This put them well beyond typically Israelite territory. As he had done before (7:19-22 ^ca), Gideon took the Midianite army by surprise. He captured the two kings and routed the army, thus eliminating the threat of Midianite retribution feared by the leaders of Succoth and Peniel.
Summary for Judg 8:13-17: 8:13-17 ^cb The return journey was probably a straight course (through the unknown Heres Pass) rather than the circular approach needed for the ambush.

• That a typical young man from Succoth could write down the names is evidence that the newly developed alphabetic writing system had taken root in Israel.

• Gideon’s practice of retribution and execution was the norm in his time, though Gideon’s reputation as the Lord’s servant was better served by his skillful diplomacy (8:1-3 ^cc) than by vindictive punishment.
Summary for Judg 8:18-21: 8:18-21 ^cd It is not clear just when the slaughter at Tabor took place; it may have occurred during the earlier battle.
Summary for Judg 8:20-21: 8:20-21 ^ce Matters of honor dominated this interaction. Death at the hand of a woman or a child was considered dishonorable (5:24-27 ^cf; 9:54 ^cg).
8:21 ^ch royal ornaments (or “crescent necklaces,” Isa 3:18 ^ci): Desert nomads tended to carry their wealth with them; jewelry maximized value for weight.
8:24 ^cj Ishmaelites and Midianites were both descendants of Abraham (Gen 16:15 ^ck; 25:2 ^cl).
8:27 ^cm An ephod was normally considered part of the priestly garments (Exod 28:6-30 ^cn); one was also worn by Samuel and David (1 Sam 2:18 ^co; 2 Sam 6:14 ^cp; 1 Chr 15:27 ^cq). But here, as in Judg 17:5 ^cr and 18:14-18 ^cs, the ephod appears to have been some kind of gold image, which in turn became an object of idolatrous worship.
8:28 ^ct When there was peace in the land (see study note on 3:7-11) before Abimelech, it was for multiples of twenty years (3:11 ^cu, 30 ^cv; 5:31 ^cw). After Gideon, the lengths were shorter. Israel’s ongoing apostasy led to increased social instability (cp. chs 17–21 ^cx).
Summary for Judg 8:29-32: 8:29-32 ^cy Advanced age is generally a sign of divine blessing, but Gideon was tarnished by a decline of spiritual blessing and leadership.
8:31 ^cz concubine: See study note on 19:1.
Summary for Judg 8:33-35: 8:33-35 ^da Gideon’s ephod (8:27 ^db) quickly became part of a pagan shrine honoring images of the ever-present Canaanite deity Baal, here called Baal-berith (“Baal of the covenant”). Fundamental to this apostasy were the twin themes of forgetting the Lord and his works and disloyalty to godly leadership. Remembering is basic to biblical, covenantal worship, from the time of the Exodus (Exod 12:14 ^dc, 24 ^dd) to the ongoing Christian celebration of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:25 ^de).

• loyalty: See study note on Judg 1:24.