Gideon

the one with the fleece

Who was Gideon?

Son of Joash, from Ophrah. He was threshing wheat in a wine press, to hide it from the Midianites, when the angel of the Lord visited him. Judges 6:11-12
He asked the Lord for a sign with a fleece of wool, and the Lord gave it to him twice. Judges 6:36-40
The Lord gave him victory over Midian with only three hundred men. Afterward he did not want to be king. Judges 7:7, 22; Judges 8:22-23

The name: The Bible does not explain the name “Gideon.” His other name, Jerubbaal, sounds in Hebrew like “let Baal take action against him.” Judges 6:32; NAB note on Jue 6, 32
Also called: Jerubbaal Judges 6:32
From: Ophrah, of the clan of Abiezer, in the tribe of Manasseh Judges 6:11, 15
Occupation: He threshed wheat; the Lord sent him to save Israel from Midian Judges 6:11, 14

What the Bible says

Judges 6:11-12

¹¹And an angel of the Lord came, and sat under an oak, that was in Ephra, and belonged to Joas the father of the family of Ezri. And when Gedeon his son was threshing and cleansing wheat by the winepress, to flee from Madian, ¹²The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men.

Judges 6:36-40

³⁶And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, ³⁷I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I, shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel. ³⁸And it was so. And rising before day wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew. ³⁹And he said again to God: let not thy wrath be kindled against me if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew. ⁴⁰And God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Judges 7:7, 22; Judges 8:22-23

⁷And the Lord said to Gedeon: By the three hundred men, that lapped water, I will save you, and deliver Madian into thy hand: but let all the rest of the people return to their place. ²²And the three hundred men nevertheless persisted sounding the trumpets. And the Lord sent the sword into all the camp, and they killed one another,

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Gideon

Before Jesus. Midian had oppressed Israel for seven years and destroyed its crops. Judges 6:1, 3-4
Before Jesus. Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to save it from the Midianites. Then the angel of the Lord told him that the Lord was with him. Judges 6:11-12
Before Jesus. The Lord sent him to save Israel. Gideon answered that his family was the lowliest in Manasseh. Judges 6:14-15
Before Jesus. At the Lord’s command, he tore down his father’s altar to Baal at night. His father, Joash, defended him before the people. Judges 6:25-31
With Jesus. He asked for a sign with a fleece of wool: first, dew only on the wool; then, only on the ground. Judges 6:36-40
With Jesus. The Lord told him he had too many men. In the end he kept three hundred. Judges 7:2-7
With Jesus. At night they blew trumpets and broke jars all around the camp of Midian, and the whole camp fled. Judges 7:19-22
Afterward. Israel asked him to be their ruler. Gideon answered that the Lord must rule over them. Judges 8:22-23

Words of Gideon

“I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why have these evils fallen upon us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers have told us of, saying: The Lord brought us out of Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of Madian.” Judges 6:13

When the angel told him that the Lord was with him.

“I beseech thee, my lord, wherewith shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the meanest in Manasses, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Judges 6:15

When the Lord sent him to save Israel.

“I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you.” Judges 8:23

When the Israelites asked him to rule over them.

What they were like

He asked God questions: he asked why they were suffering if the Lord was with them. Judges 6:13
He saw himself as small: he said he was the least in his father’s house. Judges 6:15
He obeyed even though he was afraid: he tore down the altar of Baal at night, out of fear of his family and the people. Judges 6:27

The greatest thing they did

The Lord gave him victory over Midian with three hundred men. Judges 7:7, 22
He did not want to be king: he said the Lord must rule over Israel. Judges 8:23

In the Church today

In art, recognized by: The fleece of wool From Jue 6, 37-38; this is how Christian art shows him

What people ask

What is Gideon’s fleece?

A piece of wool he laid on the threshing floor. He asked God to let the dew fall only on it, and that is what happened. Judges 6:37-38

Why did God leave Gideon with only three hundred men?

So that Israel would not say it had saved itself by its own strength. Judges 7:2

Was Gideon a king?

No. Israel asked him, but he said the Lord must rule over them. Judges 8:22-23

Did Gideon do anything wrong?

With the gold from the spoils he made an ephod, an object for worship. All Israel worshiped it, and it brought ruin on Gideon and his family. Judges 8:24, 27

Daily life He was a farmer: he threshed his family’s wheat. Judges 6:11 His stumble With the gold from the spoils he made an ephod, an object for worship. All…

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Who Gideon is connected to

Jesus · witness of faith

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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