1 Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midiancontrol Israelfor seven years. 2 The Midianiteswere so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.
3 Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianitesinvaded Israel together with the Amalekitesand other eastern nations. 4,5 They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts,6.4,5 locusts: Insects like grasshoppers that travel in swarms and cause great damage to crops.they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.
6,7 The Midianitestook almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lordfor help. 8,9 Then the Lordsent a prophet to them with this message:
I am the LordGod of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egyptinto this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land. 10 I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen.
The Lord Chooses Gideon
11 One day an angel from the Lordwent to the town of Ophrahand sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash’s son Gideonwas nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites.
12 The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, "The Lordis helping you, and you are a strong warrior."
13 Gideonanswered, "Please don’t take this wrong, but if the Lordis helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We’ve heard how the Lordperformed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the Lordhas abandoned us to the Midianites."
14 Then the Lordhimself said, "Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites."
15 Gideon replied, "But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am."
16 "Gideon," the Lordanswered, "you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianiteswill be as easy as beating up one man."
17 Gideonsaid, "It’s hard to believe that I’m actually talking to the Lord. Please do something so I’ll know that you really are the Lord. 18 And wait here until I bring you an offering."
"All right, I’ll wait," the Lordanswered.
19 Gideonwent home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread.6.19 thin bread: Bread made without yeast, since there was no time for the dough to rise.When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree.
20 God’s angel said, "Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them." Gideon did as he was told. 21 The angel was holding a walking stick, and he touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick. Flames jumped from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread.
When Gideon looked, the angel was gone. 22 Gideonrealized that he had seen one of the Lord's angels. "Oh!" he moaned. "Now I’m going to die."6.22 Now I’m going to die: The Hebrew text has "I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face." Some people believed that if they saw one of the Lord’s angels, they would die (see 13.22).
23 "Calm down!" the Lordtold Gideon. "There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re not going to die."
24 Gideonbuilt an altar for worshiping the Lordand called it "The LordCalms Our Fears." It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.
Gideon Tears Down Baal’s Altar
25 That night the Lordspoke to Gideon again:
Get your father’s second-best bull, the one that’s seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole6.25 sacred pole: Or "sacred tree," used as a symbol of Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of fertility.next to the altar. 26 Then build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks. Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me.
27 Gideonchose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. But since Gideonwas afraid of his family and the other people in Ophrah, he did it all at night.
28 When the people of the town got up the next morning, they saw that Baal’s altar had been knocked over, and the sacred pole next to it had been cut down. Then they noticed the new altar covered with the remains of the sacrificed bull.
29 "Who could have done such a thing?" they asked. And they kept on asking, until finally someone told them, "Gideonthe son of Joashdid it."
30 The men of the town went to Joashand said, "Your son Gideon knocked over Baal’s altar and cut down the sacred pole next to it. Hand him over, so we can kill him!"
31 The crowd pushed closer and closer, but Joashreplied, "Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? Are you trying to rescue Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death, and it will happen before another day dawns. If Baal really is a god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar."
32 That same day, Joash changed Gideon’s name to Jerubbaal, explaining, "He tore down Baal’s altar, so let Baal take revenge himself."6.32 Jerubbaal … take revenge himself: In Hebrew, "Jerubbaal" means "Let Baal take revenge."
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations got together and crossed the Jordan River. Then they invaded the land of Israel and set up camp in Jezreel Valley.
34 The Lord's Spirit took control of Gideon, and Gideonblew a trumpet as a signal for the men in the Abiezer clan to follow him. 35 He also sent messengers to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, telling the men of these tribes to come and join his army. Then they set out toward the enemy camp.
36,37 Gideonprayed to God, "I know that you promised to help me rescue Israel, but I need proof. Tonight I’ll spread a sheep skin on the stone floor of that threshing-place over there. If you really will help me rescue Israel, then tomorrow morning let there be dew on the skin, but let the stone floor be dry."
38 And that’s just what happened. Early the next morning, Gideon got up and checked the sheep skin. He squeezed out enough water to fill a bowl. 39 But Gideonprayed to God again. "Don’t be angry with me," Gideonsaid. "Let me try this just one more time, so I’ll really be sure you’ll help me. Only this time, let the skin be dry and the stone floor be wet."
40 That night, God made the stone floor wet with dew, but he kept the sheep skin dry.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).