Gideon in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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Who is Gideon?
GID'EON
(a hewer), the son of Joash the Abiezrite, and fifth judge of Israel. He first comes into notice when an angel appears to him under the oak in Ophrah and assures him of God's special favor, Jud 6:11-12. Subsequently, God commanded him to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord the bullock which his father had set apart for Baal, and to destroy the altar of Baal. He did both of these things, but only escaped the murderous wrath of his fellow-citizens through the wily intervention of his father, Jud 6:31. The great works of Gideon's life were the abolition of idolatry, Jud 8:33, and the deliverance of the land from the invasions of the Midianites. Before undertaking the latter enterprise, he secured a pledge of the divine favor in the phenomena of the dew and the fleece, Jud 6:36-40. God, desirous of showing the victory to be the immediate result of supernatural agency, diminished Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300. With this small force Gideon had recourse to stratagem, and in an assault by night completely terrified and successfully routed the enemy, Judges 7. Gideon refused the crown, Jud 8:23, from the whole nation, which his son Abimelech afterward received from a part. He judged Israel for 40 years, Jud 8:28, and the nation enjoyed peace and engaged in the worship of God, Jud 8:33. He was one of her greatest rulers, and is honorably mentioned Heb 11:32.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'gideon' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
bible-history.com - Schaff's

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