וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיִּתְּנֵם ה' בְּיַד מִדְיָן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים

The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midyan for seven years.

וַתָּעָז יַד מִדְיָן עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי מִדְיָן עָשׂוּ לָהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמִּנְהָרוֹת אֲשֶׁר בֶּהָרִים וְאֶת הַמְּעָרוֹת וְאֶת הַמְּצָדוֹת

The hand of Midyan, a small nation of desert nomads, prevailed against Israel. Because of Midyan, who would raid and plunder their fields, the children of Israel made for themselves the tunnels that are in the mountains, and the caves and the citadels, hiding places to safeguard themselves or their produce.

וְהָיָה אִם זָרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעָלָה מִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וּבְנֵי קֶדֶם וְעָלוּ עָלָיו

Whenever Israel would sow and the produce had grown, the Midyanites, the Amalekites, also a nomadic people, and the children of the east, tribes that lived and roamed mainly in the region between Arabia and Syria, would come up and overrun them. Time and again, these desert tribes would invade settled areas and take advantage of Israel’s weakness.

וַיַּחֲנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ עַד בּוֹאֲךָ עַזָּה וְלֹא יַשְׁאִירוּ מִחְיָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְשֶׂה וָשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר

They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They did not remain on the border but overran large tracts of the interior; they would leave no means of sustenance in Israel, nor sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

כִּי הֵם וּמִקְנֵיהֶם יַעֲלוּ וְאָהֳלֵיהֶם וּבָאוּ כְדֵי אַרְבֶּה לָרֹב וְלָהֶם וְלִגְמַלֵּיהֶם אֵין מִסְפָּר וַיָּבֹאוּ בָאָרֶץ לְשַׁחֲתָהּ

For they would go up with their cattle and their tents and come like locusts in quantity; they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to ravage it. They had no intention of ruling over the land; they raided it solely for the sake of plunder.

וַיִּדַּל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְאֹד מִפְּנֵי מִדְיָן וַיִּזְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה'

Israel became impoverished because of Midyan, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

וַיְהִי כִּי זָעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' עַל אֹדוֹת מִדְיָן

It was when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord about Midyan,

וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' אִישׁ נָבִיא אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וָאֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים

that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, and he said to them: So said the Lord, God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of bondage.

וָאַצִּל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד כָּל לֹחֲצֵיכֶם וָאֲגָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וָאֶתְּנָה לָכֶם אֶת אַרְצָם

I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out from before you, and I gave you their land.

וָאֹמְרָה לָכֶם אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא תִירְאוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יוֹשְׁבִים בְּאַרְצָם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקוֹלִי

I said to you: I am the Lord, your God; do not fear, neither respect nor worship the gods of the Emorites, in whose land you reside; but you did not heed My voice. The prophet offers not a solution, but a rebuke: Your troubles are punishment for disobeying God’s commands and for failing to abide by His conditions. You must repent.

וַיָּבֹא מַלְאַךְ ה' וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחַת הָאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר בְּעָפְרָה אֲשֶׁר לְיוֹאָשׁ אֲבִי הָעֶזְרִי וְגִדְעוֹן בְּנוֹ חֹבֵט חִטִּים בַּגַּת לְהָנִיס מִפְּנֵי מִדְיָן

An angel of the Lord came in human form (see 17:21) and sat beneath the terebinth that was in Ofra that belonged to Yo’ash the Aviezrite, from the family of Aviezer. At that time, his, Yo’ash’s, son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. Generally, one threshes wheat in an open field or in a place specifically designated for this task. However, Gideon worked in a winepress, without the aid of animals, because he wanted to salvage it, the wheat, from the Midyanites. Since wheat is threshed in the early summer, when the vines have yet to produce their fruit, it was a reasonable assumption that the Midyanites would not look for anything valuable in a winepress.

וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ ה' וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו ה' עִמְּךָ גִּבּוֹר הֶחָיִל!

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him: The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו גִּדְעוֹן בִּי אֲדֹנִי! וְיֵשׁ ה' עִמָּנוּ וְלָמָּה מְצָאַתְנוּ כָּל זֹאת וְאַיֵּה כָל נִפְלְאֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר סִפְּרוּ לָנוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֵאמֹר הֲלֹא מִמִּצְרַיִם הֶעֱלָנוּ ה' וְעַתָּה נְטָשָׁנוּ ה' וַיִּתְּנֵנוּ בְּכַף מִדְיָן!

Gideon said to him: Please, my lord. How can you say that God is with me? If the Lord is with us, why has all this befallen us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers related to us, saying: Didn’t the Lord take us up from Egypt? Now the Lord has abandoned us and has delivered us into the hand of Midyan.

וַיִּפֶן אֵלָיו ה'וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ בְּכֹחֲךָ זֶה וְהוֹשַׁעְתָּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכַּף מִדְיָן הֲלֹא שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ

The angel of the Lord turned to him and said: Go with this strength of yours that has been given to you and save Israel from the hand of Midyan; haven’t I sent you?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בִּי אֲדֹנָי! בַּמָּה אוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל! הִנֵּה אַלְפִּי הַדַּל בּמְנַשֶּׁה וְאָנֹכִי הַצָּעִיר בְּבֵית אָבִי

He, Gideon, realizing that the figure standing before him was not a man but a heavenly angel, said to him: Please, my Lord, with what will I save Israel? Behold, my thousand, my clan, is the most impoverished in Manasseh. The tribes were divided into smaller units; the house of Aviezer was not among the most important families of the tribe. And I am the youngest in my father’s house. How, then, can I become a leader?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו ה' כִּי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת מִדְיָן כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד

The Lord said to him: For I will be with you, and you will smite the Midyanites as though they were merely one man.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתָ לִּי אוֹת שָׁאַתָּה מְדַבֵּר עִמִּי

He said to Him: Please, if I have found favor in Your eyes, perform a sign for me that it is You, and not a mortal, who speaks with me, and that this is indeed a divine mission.

אַל נָא תָמֻשׁ מִזֶּה עַד בֹּאִי אֵלֶיךָ וְהֹצֵאתִי אֶת מִנְחָתִי וְהִנַּחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַיֹּאמַר אָנֹכִי אֵשֵׁב עַד שׁוּבֶךָ

Gideon wanted to offer a gift to the angel: Please do not depart from here until I come to you, and I take out my gift and place it before you. He, the angel, said: I will remain until your return.

וְגִדְעוֹן בָּא וַיַּעַשׂ גְּדִי עִזִּים וְאֵיפַת קֶמַח מַצּוֹת הַבָּשָׂר שָׂם בַּסַּל וְהַמָּרַק שָׂם בַּפָּרוּר וַיּוֹצֵא אֵלָיו אֶל תַּחַת הָאֵלָה וַיַּגַּשׁ

Gideon came and prepared a kid, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. It appears that the dough did not have time to leaven due to Gideon’s hastening. He placed the meat in a basket, placed the broth, in which the kid was cooked, in a pot, and took it out to him beneath the terebinth and presented it, brought it to the place where the angel was waiting.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים קַח אֶת הַבָּשָׂר וְאֶת הַמַּצּוֹת וְהַנַּח אֶל הַסֶּלַע הַלָּז וְאֶת הַמָּרַק שְׁפוֹךְ וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן

The angel of God said to him: Take the meat and the unleavened bread, and lay them on this rock over here and pour out the broth; and he did so.

וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶת קְצֵה הַמִּשְׁעֶנֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ וַיִּגַּע בַּבָּשָׂר וּבַמַּצּוֹת וַתַּעַל הָאֵשׁ מִן הַצּוּר וַתֹּאכַל אֶת הַבָּשָׂר וְאֶת הַמַּצּוֹת ומַלְאַךְ ה' הָלַךְ מֵעֵינָיו

The angel of the Lord extended the edge of the staff that was in his hand. One may infer from this verse that the angel appeared as a man holding a staff. And he touched the meat and the unleavened bread, and the fire went up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread, and as the fire rose, the angel of the Lord went from before his eyes.

וַיַּרְא גִּדְעוֹן כִּי מַלְאַךְ ה' הוּא וַיֹּאמֶר גִּדְעוֹן אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים! כִּי עַל כֵּן רָאִיתִי מַלְאַךְ ה' פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים

Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord; Gideon said: Alas, my Lord God. This expression constitutes an outburst of terror and concern: Woe is me, for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face. Gideon thought that a person cannot survive after seeing an angel.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ ה' שָׁלוֹם לְךָ אַל תִּירָא לֹא תָּמוּת

The Lord said to him: Peace to you; do not fear; you will not die.

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם גִּדְעוֹן מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ ה' שָׁלוֹם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה עוֹדֶנּוּ בְּעָפְרָת אֲבִי הָעֶזְרִי

Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and he called it, the altar: The Lord is peace. To this day it is still in Ofra, which is in the possession of the Aviezrites, Gideon’s clan.

וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ ה'קַח אֶת פַּר הַשּׁוֹר אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיךָ וּפַר הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְהָרַסְתָּ אֶת מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיךָ וְאֶת הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו תִּכְרֹת

It was on that night that the Lord said to him, Gideon heard a divine voice, without seeing any form. The voice said: Take your father’s large bull and the second bull,seven years old, which is fully grown and mature, and destroy your father’s altar of the Baal, and cut down the tree that is thought to be a sacred tree which is forbidden to damage, that is next to it.

וּבָנִיתָ מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל רֹאשׁ הַמָּעוֹז הַזֶּה בַּמַּעֲרָכָה וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הַפָּר הַשֵּׁנִי וְהַעֲלִיתָ עוֹלָה בַּעֲצֵי הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר תִּכְרֹת

Build an altar to the Lord your God atop this massive rock, in an appropriate place, the place arranged and ready for this purpose, and take the second bull and offer up a burnt offering with the wood of the sacred tree that you will cut down.

וַיִּקַּח גִּדְעוֹן עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים מֵעֲבָדָיו וַיַּעַשׂ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו ה' וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרֵא אֶת בֵּית אָבִיו וְאֶת אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר מֵעֲשׂוֹת יוֹמָם וַיַּעַשׂ לָיְלָה

Then Gideon took ten men from his servants. The fact that this young man had more than a few servants at his disposal is an indication that he came from a distinguished family, despite the fact that his larger clan was impoverished. And he did as the Lord had spoken to him. It was because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, who treated the Baal with deference, that he did not do it by day, but he did it at night.

וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר בַּבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה נֻתַּץ מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל וְהָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו כֹּרָתָה וְאֵת הַפָּר הַשֵּׁנִי הֹעֲלָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַבָּנוּי

The men of the city arose early in the morning, and behold, they saw that the altar of the Baal was smashed, the sacred tree next to it was cut down, and the second bull, which was apparently designated for idolatrous worship, had been offered upon the altar that had been newly built.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ מִי עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּדְרְשׁוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹאָשׁ עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

One said to the other: Who did this thing? They inquired and sought, and after investigating and eliminating other suspects, they found the guilty party, and they said: Gideon son of Yo’ash did this thing.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר אֶל יוֹאָשׁ הוֹצֵא אֶת בִּנְךָ וְיָמֹת כִּי נָתַץ אֶת מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל וְכִי כָרַת הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו

The men of the city said to Yo’ash: Take out your son, deliver him into our hands, and he shall die, because he smashed the altar of the Baal and because he cut down the sacred tree that was next to it.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָשׁ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָמְדוּ עָלָיו הַאַתֶּם תְּרִיבוּן לַבַּעַל אִם אַתֶּם תּוֹשִׁיעוּן אוֹתוֹ! אֲשֶׁר יָרִיב לוֹ יוּמַת עַד הַבֹּקֶר אִם אֱלֹהִים הוּא יָרֶב לוֹ כִּי נָתַץ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹ

Yo’ash said to everyone who stood against him: Will you fight on behalf of the Baal? Will you save him? Does the Baal require you to fight for him and rescue him? Whoever fights against him, the Baal, will be put to death by morning, for if he indeed is a god, and if his strength is so great, he will fight for himself against my son, because he smashed his altar, and you do not need to act on his behalf. The men of the city accepted this argument, as they did not worship the Baal zealously or out of deep faith. They worshipped the Baal only because it was the local fashion, and because they mimicked the ways of the surrounding nations.

וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ בַיּוֹם הַהוּא יְרֻבַּעַל לֵאמֹר יָרֶב בּוֹ הַבַּעַל כִּי נָתַץ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹ

He named him, Gideon, on that day, Yerubaal, saying: Let the Baal fight [yarev] against him, for he smashed his altar. Gideon received an additional name or a moniker that became a second name for him.

וְכָל מִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וּבְנֵי קֶדֶם נֶאֶסְפוּ יַחְדָּו וַיַּעַבְרוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל

The preceding story of the revelation of the angel of God serves as an introduction to the developing war: All of Midyan, Amalek, and the children of the east gathered together, and they crossed the Jordan River and encamped in the Yizre’el Valley, a sufficiently large area for a military encampment.

וְרוּחַ ה' לָבְשָׁה אֶת גִּדְעוֹן וַיִּתְקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיִּזָּעֵק אֲבִיעֶזֶר אַחֲרָיו

The spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. He sensed that the spirit of God was upon him, and that he now had the strength to fulfill the angel’s command and save Israel in the war against Midyan. He sounded a shofar to call his soldiers to battle; and the family of Aviezer was mobilized after him.

וּמַלְאָכִים שָׁלַח בְּכָל מְנַשֶּׁה וַיִּזָּעֵק גַּם הוּא אַחֲרָיו וּמַלְאָכִים שָׁלַח בְּאָשֵׁר וּבִזְבֻלוּן וּבְנַפְתָּלִי וַיַּעֲלוּ לִקְרָאתָם

He, Gideon, sent messengers throughout all Manasseh to announce the war, and they too, the men of the tribe of Manasseh, were mobilized after him; he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they, the men from those tribes, also went up to meet them.

וַיֹּאמֶר גִּדְעוֹן אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים אִם יֶשְׁךָ מוֹשִׁיעַ בְּיָדִי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ

Gideon said to God: If You are saving Israel by my hand, as You spoke, I wish to receive a sign of Your salvation;

הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַצִּיג אֶת גִּזַּת הַצֶּמֶר בַּגֹּרֶן אִם טַל יִהְיֶה עַל הַגִּזָּה לְבַדָּהּ וְעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ חֹרֶב וְיָדַעְתִּי כִּי תוֹשִׁיעַ בְּיָדִי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ

behold, I will spread a woolen fleece on the open threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone and on all the rest of the ground it is dry, this will be a sign for me, and I will know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You spoke.

וַיְהִי כֵן וַיַּשְׁכֵּם מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּזַר אֶת הַגִּזָּה וַיִּמֶץ טַל מִן הַגִּזָּה מְלוֹא הַסֵּפֶל מָיִם

It was so; he arose early the next day, and he wrung out the fleece, and the fleece had absorbed so much dew that he extracted dew from the fleece, a full bowl of water.

וַיֹּאמֶר גִּדְעוֹן אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים אַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אַךְ הַפָּעַם אֲנַסֶּה נָּא רַק הַפַּעַם בַּגִּזָּה יְהִי נָא חֹרֶב אֶל הַגִּזָּה לְבַדָּהּ וְעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ יִהְיֶה טָּל

Gideon said to God: May Your wrath not be enflamed against me, and I will speak even another time: Please let me test only this additional time with the fleece, with a similar test, only the opposite: Let there be dryness now on the fleece alone, and on the entire ground let there be dew. This would be a more miraculous outcome than the previous test.

וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים כֵּן בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיְהִי חֹרֶב אֶל הַגִּזָּה לְבַדָּהּ וְעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ הָיָה טָל

God did so that night; there was dryness on the fleece alone, and on the entire ground there was dew.