📖 Judges — Chapter 6 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel Rdid evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
Judges 6:2 And Rthe hand of Midian Tprevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
Judges 6:3 And so it was, Rwhen Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
Judges 6:4 And they encamped against them, and Rdestroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither Tsheep, nor ox, nor ass.
Judges 6:5 For they came up with their cattle and their Rtents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
Judges 6:6 And Israel was greatly Rimpoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
Judges 6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
Judges 6:8 That the LORD sent Ta prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, RThus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
Judges 6:9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and Rdrave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
Judges 6:10 And I said unto you, RI am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
Judges 6:11 And there came Ran angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son TGideon threshed wheat by the winepress, Tto hide it from the Midianites.
Judges 6:12 And Rthe angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, Rif the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Judges 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, RGo in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Judges 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, Rwherewith shall I save Israel? behold, Tmy family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
Judges 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Judges 6:17 And he said unto him, RIf now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Judges 6:18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and Rbring forth my Tpresent, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
Judges 6:19 And Gideon went in, Rand made ready Ta kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
Judges 6:20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and Rlay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Judges 6:21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there Rrose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
Judges 6:22 And when Gideon Rperceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Judges 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, RPeace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon Rbuilt an altar there unto the LORD, and called it TJehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, Teven the second bullock of seven years old, and Rthrow down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
Judges 6:26 And Rbuild an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this Trock, Tin the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
Judges 6:27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, Rand did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
Judges 6:28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
Judges 6:29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
Judges 6:30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, RBring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
Judges 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, RWill ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
Judges 6:32 Therefore on that day he called him RTTJerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Judges 6:33 RThen all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
Judges 6:34 But Rthe Spirit of the LORD Tcame upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was Tgathered after him.
Judges 6:35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was Tgathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
Judges 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, RIf thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Judges 6:37 RBehold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
Judges 6:38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, Ra bowl full of water.
Judges 6:39 And Gideon said unto God, RLet not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Judges 6:40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 6:1–10 — Midian's oppression and a prophet's rebuke
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Midian's raids strip Israel of food and force people into hiding. When Israel cries to the LORD, a prophet reminds them of deliverance from Egypt and their failure to obey. Their suffering is interpreted here in relation to Israel's covenant disobedience, not as a rule for diagnosing every person's hardship.
Key Truth: God's past deliverance makes Israel's present disobedience especially serious.
Check What You Remember
1. How many years did Midian oppress Israel? (Judges 6:1)
Find it in Judges 6:1 (KJV).
2. To whom did impoverished Israel cry? (Judges 6:6)
Find it in Judges 6:6 (KJV).
3. Whom did the LORD send with a rebuke? (Judges 6:8)
Find it in Judges 6:8 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 6:11–24 — Gideon is called and reassured
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Gideon threshes wheat in hiding when the angel appears. He questions how deliverance can come through his poor family and low standing. The LORD promises his presence, receives the offering with fire, and reassures Gideon, who builds an altar named Jehovahshalom.
Key Truth: The promise of God's presence answers Gideon's sense of inadequacy.
Check What You Remember
1. Who was threshing wheat by the winepress? (Judges 6:11)
Find it in Judges 6:11 (KJV).
2. What did the LORD promise would be with Gideon? (Judges 6:16)
Find it in Judges 6:16 (KJV).
3. What did Gideon call his altar? (Judges 6:24)
Find it in Judges 6:24 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 6:25–40 — Baal's altar falls and the fleece signs follow
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Gideon obeys the command to tear down Baal's altar at night because he is afraid. Joash challenges Baal's defenders. The Spirit comes upon Gideon, and he gathers men; afterward he requests two fleece signs. The chapter records God's patience without issuing a universal method for decision-making.
Key Truth: Gideon's fearful obedience and repeated requests must be read alongside God's prior promise.
Check What You Remember
1. Whose altar was Gideon told to tear down? (Judges 6:25)
Find it in Judges 6:25 (KJV).
2. What name was Gideon given after tearing down the altar? (Judges 6:32)
Find it in Judges 6:32 (KJV).
3. What material did Gideon put out for the sign? (Judges 6:37)
Find it in Judges 6:37 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Joshua 1:9 — God's promised presence also underlies Joshua's call to courage.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
Where do you see both fear and obedience in Gideon's response? What has God already said before Gideon asks for further signs?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does the prophet answer Israel’s cry before Gideon’s calling?
2. How does the LORD answer Gideon’s objection about his family and position?
3. How does Gideon’s night action reflect both obedience and fear?
4. What argument does Joash make concerning Baal?
5. How do the two fleece requests differ?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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