1 Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midianfor seven years, 2 and the hand of Midianprevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them, 4 encamping against them as far as Gazaand destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys. 5 For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
6 Israelwas greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7 Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, 8 He sent them a prophet, who told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 9 I delivered you out of the hands of Egyptand all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear6:10 Or worshipthe gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me."
The Call of Gideon
11 Then the angel6:11 Or Angel; also in verses 12, 20, 21, and 22; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized.of the LORD came and sat down under the oak6:11 Or terebinth or great tree; also in verse 19in Ophrahthat belonged to Joashthe Abiezrite, where his son Gideonwas threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor."
13 "Please, my Lord," Gideonreplied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian."
14 The LORD6:14 LXX The angel of the LORD or The Angel of the LORD; also in verse 16turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?"
15 "Please, my Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."
16 "Surely I will be with you," the LORD replied, "and you will strike down all the Midianitesas one man."
17 Gideonanswered, "If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me. 18 Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You."
And the LORD said, "I will stay until you return."
19 So Gideonwent in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephahof flour.6:19 An ephah is approximately 20 dry quarts or 22 liters (probably about 25.5 pounds or 11.6 kilograms of flour).He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
20 And the angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22 When Gideonrealized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"
23 But the LORD said to him, "Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die."
24 So Gideonbuilt an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace.6:24 Hebrew YHWH ShalomTo this day it stands in Ophrahof the Abiezrites.
Gideon Destroys Baal’s Altar
25 On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering."
27 So Gideontook ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
28 When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar. 29 "Who did this?" they said to one another.
And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, "Gideonson of Joashdid it."
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."
31 But Joashsaid to all who stood against him, "Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar."
32 So on that day Gideonwas called Jerubbaal,6:32 Jerubbaal probably means let Baal contend.that is to say, "Let Baal contend with him," because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
The Sign of the Fleece
33 Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him. 35 Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
36 Then Gideonsaid to God, "If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, 37 then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said."
38 And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideonsaid to God, "Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew."
40 And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
Lugar Bíblico
Região / Território
Midian
Hoje: Al Bad
מִדְיָןmidyanΜαδιάνMadian
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Jacob, son of Isaac, bought the birthright from Esau, wrestled with God at Penuel, and received the name Israel; his twelve sons gave rise to the tribes (Genesis 32:28).
Significado: “One who takes by the heel (supplanter)”
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Amalek is the land of the Amalekites, who attacked Israel at Rephidim and were defeated by Joshua with the sword. They lived in the Negeb (Exodus 17:13).
Gaza was a city of the Philistines, where the people surrounded Samson and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate to kill him at dawn (Judges 16:2).
Jacob, son of Isaac, bought the birthright from Esau, wrestled with God at Penuel, and received the name Israel; his twelve sons gave rise to the tribes (Genesis 32:28).
Significado: “One who takes by the heel (supplanter)”
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Jacob, son of Isaac, bought the birthright from Esau, wrestled with God at Penuel, and received the name Israel; his twelve sons gave rise to the tribes (Genesis 32:28).
Significado: “One who takes by the heel (supplanter)”
Egypt is the land where Abram went down because of famine and where Jacob and his sons went. Because Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, the Lord killed all the firstborn there (Exodus 13:15).
Egypt is the land where Abram went down because of famine and where Jacob and his sons went. Because Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, the Lord killed all the firstborn there (Exodus 13:15).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Egypt is the land where Abram went down because of famine and where Jacob and his sons went. Because Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, the Lord killed all the firstborn there (Exodus 13:15).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Midian is the land of Jethro, priest and father-in-law of Moses, and of the Midianites, who raided the crops of Israel until they were pursued by Gideon and his men (Judges 7:25).
Amalek is the land of the Amalekites, who attacked Israel at Rephidim and were defeated by Joshua with the sword. They lived in the Negeb (Exodus 17:13).
The Jordan is the river in the middle of which Joshua set up twelve stones, where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant had stood. The boundary of the land went down along the river to the Salt Sea (Joshua 4:9).
The Valley of Jezreel is the valley where the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples camped after joining forces and crossing the Jordan, when Israel had been given into the hands of the Midianites (Judges 6:33).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).
Gideon, son of Joash, also called Jerubbaal, broke down the altar of Baal and, with three hundred men, delivered Israel from the Midianites; he refused to be king (Judges 7:7).