Gideon

About Gideon

Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal or Jerubbesheth, was a judge of Israel during the period of the judges, as recorded in the book of Judges, chapters 6-8. He is also mentioned in Heb.11.32 as an example of faith. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the clan of Abiezer in the tribe of Manasseh (Jdg.6.11, 15). During a time when Israel was oppressed by the Midianites, God called Gideon to deliver His people (Jdg.6.14). Gideon initially doubted his ability to save Israel, but God reassured him through various signs, including a fleece wet with dew (Jdg.6.36-40). Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole, earning him the name Jerubbaal, which means "let Baal contend against him" (Jdg.6.25-32).

With a reduced army of 300 men, chosen by God, Gideon defeated the Midianites through a surprise attack, using trumpets, empty jars, and torches (Jdg.7.1-25). He pursued the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, and captured them (Jdg.8.4-21). After the victory, the Israelites asked Gideon to rule over them, but he refused, stating that only God should rule over Israel (Jdg.8.22-23). However, Gideon made an ephod from the gold taken from the Midianites, which became a snare to him and his family (Jdg.8.24-27).

Gideon had seventy sons and many wives, including a concubine from Shechem who bore him a son named Abimelech (Jdg.8.29-31). After Gideon's death, Abimelech killed his seventy brothers and became king of Shechem, but his rule was short-lived and ended in his death (Judges 9). Gideon is remembered as a deliverer of Israel, and his story is referenced in 1Sa.12.11 and 2Sa.11.21. The name Jerubbesheth (2Sa.11.21) is a variation of Jerubbaal, with "besheth" (meaning "shame") replacing "baal" to avoid using the name of the pagan god.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.