Lexical Summary
Gidon: Gideon
Original Word: גִּדְעוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Gid`own
Pronunciation: ghee-DOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (ghid-ohn')
KJV: Gideon
NASB: Gideon
Word Origin: [from H1438 (גָּדַע - cut down)]
1. feller (i.e. warrior)
2. Gidon, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Gideon
From gada'; feller (i.e. Warrior); Gidon, an Israelite -- Gideon.
see HEBREW gada'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
gadaDefinitiona judge of Isr.
NASB TranslationGideon (38).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Judges 6:11,13,19 36t.
Judges 6-8; — called also (q. v.)
Judges 6:32;
Judges 7:1 etc., & (q. v.)
2 Samuel 11:21.
Topical Lexicon
Historical SettingGideon arises during the Midianite oppression in the era of the Judges, roughly midway between the conquest under Joshua and the institution of the monarchy. The seven-year Midianite domination (Judges 6:1-6) was God’s disciplinary response to Israel’s idolatry, leaving the tribes impoverished and fearful. Gideon’s ministry therefore unfolds as part of the recurring cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, deliverance and rest that characterizes the book.
Family Background and Early Life
Judges 6:11 situates Gideon in Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer within the tribe of Manasseh. His father Joash owned a Baal altar and an Asherah pole (Judges 6:25-26), indicating the syncretism permeating Israel. Gideon self-identifies as “the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15), underscoring the divine prerogative to employ unlikely instruments.
Call and Commission
“The Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor’” (Judges 6:12). The Christophanic Messenger commissions Gideon to “save Israel from the hand of Midian” (Judges 6:14). The transforming address—mighty warrior to a man hiding in a winepress—reveals that God’s calling confers the capacity required for His work.
Confirmed by Signs
1. Consuming fire on the rock (Judges 6:19-21).
2. Dew on the fleece only (Judges 6:36-38).
3. Dew on the ground only (Judges 6:39-40).
These signs, graciously granted, secure Gideon’s faith without divine rebuke, showcasing God’s patience toward growing trust.
Consecration through Covenant Purging
Before public deliverance, private holiness is demanded. Gideon destroys the Baal altar and Asherah pole (Judges 6:25-27). The changed name “Jerubbaal” (“Let Baal contend”) becomes a perpetual reminder that the living God alone rescues (Judges 6:32).
Reduction of the Army
Thirty-two thousand volunteers diminish to three hundred by two divine tests (Judges 7:1-8). The improbable number highlights that “Israel could not boast against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’” (Judges 7:2).
The Night Raid and Victory
Armed with trumpets, pitchers and torches, Gideon’s band encircles the Midianite camp. At the signal they cry, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20). Panic and self-slaughter ensue among the enemy (Judges 7:21-22). Subsequent pursuit involves Ephraim, Naphtali and Manasseh, leading to the deaths of Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:24-25) and finally of Zebah and Zalmunna (Judges 8:18-21).
Governance and Refusal of Kingship
The men of Israel request dynastic rule: “Rule over us… you, your son, and your grandson” (Judges 8:22). Gideon replies, “I will not rule over you… the LORD will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). He thereby upholds Yahweh’s kingship, though his later actions blur the distinction.
The Ephod and Spiritual Decline
Gideon fashions an ephod from Midianite spoils (Judges 8:24-27). Intended perhaps as memorial or cultic vestment, it becomes “a snare to Gideon and his household,” and Israel again “prostituted themselves after it” (Judges 8:27). Thus the judge who tore down an idolatrous altar inadvertently provides occasion for fresh idolatry.
Family, Succession and Aftermath
Gideon fathers seventy sons and a concubine-born son, Abimelech (Judges 8:30-31). After Gideon dies “at a good old age” (Judges 8:32), Abimelech murders his brothers and briefly seizes power (Judges 9). The narrative underscores how partial obedience and private compromises reverberate destructively after a leader’s passing.
Later Biblical References
• “Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon)” appears as a marker of past deliverance in 1 Samuel 12:11.
• Psalm 83:11 petitions God to do to future foes as He did to “Oreb and Zeeb… all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,” invoking Gideon’s victory as precedent.
• Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among the faithful who “through faith conquered kingdoms,” securing him a place in the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1).
Theological and Practical Lessons
1. God’s strength is perfected in human weakness; the least clan and smallest band rout overwhelming odds.
2. Deliverance is inseparable from covenant fidelity; Baal’s altar must fall before Midian’s camp.
3. Spiritual leadership demands vigilance; an article intended for worship may become an idol if misused.
4. Faith grows through divine accommodation; Gideon’s fleeces illustrate that patient assurance can nurture courage without excusing unbelief.
5. Temporary victories do not guarantee lasting reform; succeeding generations must personally embrace covenant loyalty.
Christological Foreshadowing
Gideon’s title “mighty man of valor” and his Spirit-empowered deliverance (Judges 6:34) prefigure the greater Deliverer who defeats the true oppressors of God’s people. The motif of victory with improbable means anticipates salvation accomplished not by “sword or by spear,” but through the weakness of the cross (compare 1 Corinthians 1:18-25).
Summary
Gideon stands as a divinely chosen judge whose humble beginnings, Spirit-filled courage and decisive faith secured Israel’s liberation from Midian. His life simultaneously warns of the hazards of incomplete consecration and models trust in the LORD who alone saves.
Forms and Transliterations
גִ֠דְעוֹן גִּדְע֑וֹן גִּדְע֔וֹן גִּדְע֖וֹן גִּדְע֗וֹן גִּדְע֜וֹן גִּדְע֤וֹן גִּדְע֥וֹן גִּדְעוֹן֙ גִּדְעוֹן֩ גִדְע֔וֹן גִדְע֖וֹן גִדְע֗וֹן גִדְע֜וֹן גִדְעֽוֹן׃ גדעון גדעון׃ וְגִדְע֣וֹן וּלְגִדְע֗וֹן וּלְגִדְעֽוֹן׃ וגדעון ולגדעון ולגדעון׃ לְגִדְע֥וֹן לגדעון giḏ‘ōwn ḡiḏ‘ōwn giḏ·‘ō·wn ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn gidOn lə·ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn ləḡiḏ‘ōwn legidon ū·lə·ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn ūləḡiḏ‘ōwn ulegidon vegidon wə·ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn wəḡiḏ‘ōwn
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