Judges 6:34

But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(34) Came upon Gideon.—Literally, clothed Gideon. See Judges 3:10 (Othniel); Judges 11:29 (Jephthah); Judges 13:25 (Samson). This forcible figure is found also in 1Chronicles 12:18 ( Amasai); 2Chronicles 24:20 (Zechariah); Psalm 59:17; and in the New Testament, Luke 24:49 (endusēsthe); Galatians 3:27 (enedusasthe Christon); 1Peter 5:5 (enkombōsasthe).

Blew a trumpet.—See Judges 3:27. The trumpet is shophar, or ram’s horn (LXX., keratine). Gideon’s call was two-fold: the first he had already obeyed in destroying the Baal-worship at Ophrah; he now begins to obey the second, which was to deliver his country.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:33-40 These signs are truly miraculous, and very significant. Gideon and his men were going to fight the Midianites; could God distinguish between a small fleece of Israel, and the vast floor of Midian? Gideon is made to know that God could do so. Is Gideon desirous that the dew of Divine grace might come down upon himself in particular? He sees the fleece wet with dew to assure him of it. Does he desire that God will be as the dew to all Israel? Behold, all the ground is wet. What cause we sinners of the Gentiles have, to bless the Lord that the dew of heavenly blessings, once confined to Israel, is now sent to all the inhabitants of the earth! Yet still the means of grace are in different measures, according to the purposes of God. In the same congregation, one man's soul is like Gideon's moistened fleece, another like the dry ground.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon - See the margin. The word contains a striking thought. It is different from that used in the case of Othniel Judges 3:10, Jephthah Judges 11:29, and Samson Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6, Judges 14:19.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

34. the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon—Called in this sudden emergency into the public service of his country, he was supernaturally endowed with wisdom and energy commensurate with the magnitude of the danger and the difficulties of his position. His summons to war was enthusiastically obeyed by all the neighboring tribes. On the eve of a perilous enterprise, he sought to fortify his mind with a fresh assurance of a divine call to the responsible office. The miracle of the fleece was a very remarkable one—especially, considering the copious dews that fall in his country. The divine patience and condescension were wonderfully manifested in reversing the form of the miracle. Gideon himself seems to have been conscious of incurring the displeasure of God by his hesitancy and doubts; but He bears with the infirmities of His people.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Came upon Gideon, inspiring him with extraordinary wisdom, and courage, and zeal, to vindicate God’s honour and his country’s liberty. Compare 1 Chronicles 12:18 2 Chronicles 24:20.

Abi-ezer, i.e. the Abi-ezrites, his kindred, And their servants, and others; who finding no harm coming to him for the destroying of Baal, but rather a blessing from God, in giving him strength and courage for so great and dangerous an attempt, changed their minds, and followed him as the person by whose hands God would deliver them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon,.... Not the spirit of prophecy, as Maimonides (x), who calls this spirit the first degree of prophecy, but a spirit of fortitude and courage, as the Targum; the Spirit of God filled him, or, as in the Hebrew text, "clothed" (y) him with zeal, strength, and might, moved and animated him to engage with this great body of people come into the land, to ravage and waste it, and to attempt the deliverance of Israel from their bondage:

and he blew a trumpet; as an alarm of war, and as a token to as many as heard to resort to him, and join with him in the common cause against the enemy:

and Abiezer was gathered after him; the Abiezrites, one of the families of the tribe of Manasseh, of which Gideon and his father's house were; and even it is probable the inhabitants of Ophrah, who were Abiezrites, being now convinced of their idolatry, and having entertained a good opinion of Gideon as a man of valour, and who, in the present emergence, they looked upon as an hopeful instrument of their deliverance, and therefore joined him.

(x) Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. (y) "induit", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. Vid. Maimon. ut supra. (T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 28. 2. & 29. 1.) So Homer often represents his heroes as clothed with fortitude and courage; see Iliad. 17.

Geneva Study Bible

But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and {o} Abiezer was gathered after him.

(o) The family of Abiezer, of which he was.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

34. the spirit of the Lord came upon] lit. ‘put on as a garment,’ i.e. took possession of Gideon; cf. 1 Chronicles 12:18, 2 Chronicles 24:20. The verb is used in Syriac with the same metaphorical sense; e.g. ‘Ignatius, God-clad and martyr,’ a frequent expression in the Syr. fragments of the Ignatian Epistles1[38]. Cf. also Romans 13:14. For the spirit of the Lord see on Jdg 3:10.

[38] Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers i. 184–190, iii. 100, 111.

blew a trumpet] Cf. Jdg 3:27. Gideon’s own clansmen respond to the call; they seem to be the 300 who follow him in Jdg 8:4-21. This verse would form a suitable continuation of 11–24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 34. - The Spirit of the Lord, etc. See Judges 3:10; Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6, 19; cf. Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 61:1; John 20:22; Acts 13:2; Acts 20:28; and 1 Corinthians 12:4. Abi-ezer. His own family (ver. 11; see Joshua 17:2). In Numbers 26:30 the name appears as Jeezer, by a very defective transliteration - Aiezer represents the Hebrew letters. The b has probably fallen out by accident. Here we have the immediate fruit of Gideon s daring in the cause of God. The whole family of Abi-ezer, numbering probably thousands, sprang to his side. Judges 6:34

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Equipment of Gideon for the Battle. - When the Midianites and their allies once more invaded the land of Israel, Gideon was seized by the Spirit of God, so that he gathered together an army from the northern tribes of Israel (Judges 6:33-35), and entreated God to assure him by a sign of gaining the victory over the enemy (Judges 6:36-40).

Judges 6:33-35

The enemy gathered together again, went over (viz., across) the Jordan in the neighbourhood of Beisan (see at Judges 7:24 and Judges 8:4), and encamped in the valley of Jezreel (see at Joshua 17:16). "And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon" (לבשׁה, clothed, i.e., descended upon him, and laid itself around him as it were like a coat of mail, or a strong equipment, so that he became invulnerable and invincible in its might: see 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 24:20, and Luke 24:49). Gideon then blew the trumpet, to call Israel to battle against the foe (see Judges 3:27); "and Abiezer let itself be summoned after him." His own family, which had recognised the deliverer of Israel in the fighter of Baal, who was safe from Baal's revenge, was the first to gather round him. Their example was followed by all Manasseh, i.e., the Manassites on the west of the Jordan (for the tribes on the east of the Jordan took no part in the war), and the neighbouring tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali on the north, which had been summoned by heralds to the battle. "They advanced to meet them:" i.e., to meet the Manassites, who were coming from the south to the battle, to make war upon the enemy in concert with them and under the guidance of Gideon. עלה is used to denote their advance against the enemy (see at Joshua 8:2), and not in the sense of going up, since the Asherites and Naphtalites would not go up from their mountains into the plain of Jezreel, but could only go down.