Ver. 1. And the children of Israel did evil.] This was the bad fruit of their forty years’ peace. “Ease slayeth the foolish.” (Proverbs 1:32, marg.) [See Trapp on “Jud 4:1”] Into the hand of Midian.] Who once outwitted them and vexed them with their wiles, (Numbers 25:17) now with their inroads: ever full of malignity against the Israelites, though they were of the posterity of Abraham by Keturah, and had been better taught by Jethro, a priest and prince of God amongst them.
Ver. 2. Made them the dens which are in the mountains.] These served for shelters, places of refuge and strength, until the last desolation of the Jews. See 1 Samuel 13:6. And caves, and strongholds.] They sought not to God till needs must; till these coverings were too short. (Judges 6:6)
Ver. 3. And so it was, when Israel had sown.] This was threatened, (Deuteronomy 28:14-68) but not believed till it befell them, and the proverb (John 4:37) verified, “One soweth, and another reapeth.”
Ver. 4. And destroyed the increase of the earth.] A stratagem that was afterwards also used by Halyattes against the Milesians, and is still by the great Turk, that scourge of Christendom and waster of the world. Till thou come unto Gaza,] i.e., The whole length of the land: for Gaza was a city of the Philistines, bounding the land of Israel southward. And left no sustenance for Israel.] None, to speak of: they became like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food, (Proverbs 28:3) living on the spoil as long as it lasted, or as they listed. This was a sad case, but nothing so sad as theirs that suffer a famine of the word, as do at this day the Africans, Grecians, those seven churches of Asia, and many others, once famous and flourishing. Herod., lib. i.
Ver. 5. And they came as grasshoppers.] Innumerable and devoratory. See Judges 6:4 Joe 2:25
Ver. 6. Cried unto the Lord.] They fled to the “Rock of Ages, the Lord Jehovah.” (Isaiah 26:4) When their other refuges failed them, they were a “poor and afflicted people,” and then “they trusted in God,” (Zephaniah 3:12) they confessed their sins, repented of their wicked ways, and implored the divine help, putting themselves into the hands of justice in hope of mercy.
Ver. 7. When the children of Israel cried.] If men can find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart.
Ver. 8. That the Lord sent a prophet.] Heb., A man, a prophet; therefore not an angel, as Lyra and Comestor fancied. They had repented in part before, but this prophet is sent to stir them up to do it thoroughly. So Acts 2:37, those who were before pricked at heart, are yet further excited to “repent, for the remission of sins,” &c. (Acts 2:38)
Ver. 9. And I delivered you, &c.] Deliverance commandeth obedience. (Ezra 9:13,14)
Ver. 10. Fear not the gods.] As true religion hath fear of piety for its foundation, so superstition hath its fear of that deity which it faneieth, and is therefore called δεισιδαιμονια. “Primus in orbe Deos fecit Timor.”
Ver. 11. And there came an angel.] When the people, being kindly humbled by the prophet’s reproof, cried mightily to God for mercy and deliverance, he “who comforteth the abject” (2 Corinthians 7:6) sent them an angel. And his son Gideon threshed wheat.] Though he had many servants, (Judges 6:27) yet himself threshed. So did the ancient Roman senators, Cincinnatus, Curius, Scipio, &c.; neither was grain ever cheaper at Rome, saith Pliny, than in those days.
Ver. 12. And the angel appeared unto him.] As he was threshing. So God called Moses and David from following the ewes, Elisha from the ploughing, the apostles from fishing, washing, and mending their nets, &c. He usually appeared to the busy visions, like as Satan doth to the idle in manifold temptations. Thou mighty man of valour.] The Septuagint renders it, “Even the Lord mighty in valour.”
Ver. 13. Why then is all this befallen us?] As if that could not be, and they in durance. But we must frame a new Bible, saith one, ere we can find any colour out of God’s afflicting us, to prove that he doth not love us, and hath forsaken us. Non deserit etiamsi deserat, saith a father.
Ver. 14. And the Lord looked upon him.] As well liking his speech, for the main, and the publicness of his spirit, sensible of the common calamity. Go in this thy might.] As thou now lustily belabourest the wheat thou art threshing out, so arise and thresh the mountains, the Midianites, another while. (Isaiah 41:15 Micah 4:13) Or, in this thy might, which I now give thee. And thou shalt save Israel.] God could have saved them without Gideon, or any other instrument. But in most of his works he acteth, as I may so speak, in concert with the creature. It is seldom that he hath an immediate attingence with effects: he useth, and delighteth to use the service of men.
Ver. 15. Wherewith shall I save Israel?] Since I want both men and money, -the sinews of war, and authority to order an army. Here Gideon was faithful in weakness, though but weak in faith, and is therefore reckoned among those renowned worthies in Hebrews 11:32. Behold, my family is poor.] He was well descended, but had mean thoughts of himself. True worth is modest, Some render it, My chiliad. Moses had distributed the people into thousands, (Exodus 18:25) as Alfred did the English into shires, hundreds, and tenths, or tithings, whereof the aucientest were called the tithing men.
Ver. 16. Surely I will be with thee.] I who, of myself, am a whole army. (Isaiah 52:12) As one man.] So easy it is with God to deal with huge multitudes of people, when he once taketh them to do.
Ver. 17. Then show me a sign,] sc., That thou art that “Captain of the Lord’s hosts,” and of our salvation. This sign Gideon sought not, as the Pharisees did, out of curiosity or incredulity, but for further confirmation concerning his call to the work, that it was of God. A good cause, a good calling, and a good conscience, will make a good courage; and are all necessary, to a soldier especially.
Ver. 18. And bring forth my present,] i.e., My provision, as Genesis 18:5.
Ver. 19. Under the oak.] Where, as a wayfaring man, he had reposed himself. (Judges 6:11)
Ver. 20. And lay them upon this rock.] Christ is called the Rock, (1 Corinthians 10:4) and that is a good rule given by the apostle in Colossians 3:17, -“Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Ver. 21. And there rose up fire out of the rock.] Here was a sign that the Midianites should be destroyed without man’s labour. Christ, as he is Piorum rupes, a rock of refuge to the godly, so he is Reorum scopulus, a rock of revenge to dash the impenitent to pieces, as Valerius Maximus saith of the tribunal of L. Cassius, a rock sending out fire, as here. As once water came out of a rock. (Exodus 17:6)
Ver. 22. Alas, O Lord God!] Fasciculus temporum, A.D. 884, cries out in the words of this text, Heu, heu, Domine Deus! bittery bewailing the iniquities of those times. For because I have seen an angel] And shall therefore doubtless die. But how then should he save Israel, as God had promised? Where was now his faith? Was this the “mighty man of valour?”
Ver. 23. Fear not: thou shalt not die.] Death is dreadful to nature, as being its slaughter man, and hell’s purveyor. But why should a true believer be fond of life, or afraid of death, since to him it shall be but the day break of eternal brightness? Some heathens counted mortality a mercy.
Ver. 24. And called it Jehovah-shalom,] i.e., The Lord of peace, or the peace of the Lord. Christ had said unto him, (Judges 6:23) Peace be unto thee: he therefore honoureth Christ by this name given to his newly built altar. We should write upon our hearts Jehovah-tsidkenu, Jehovah-shalom—The Lord our righteousness, the Lord our peace. “The Lord of peace himself give us peace always by all means.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16) Such an inscription there would answer all our doubts, and cheer up our spirits above belief.
Ver. 25. And it came to pass the same night.] The night wherein the Lord had so comforted him, (Judges 6:23) and whilst “his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 17:6) Throw down the altar of Baal.] He must first reform before he went against the Midianites, or else no good success could be expected. Musselburgh field was won by the English in Edward VI’s time, the selfsame day and hour wherein the idolatrous images were burnt at London by authority of Parliament. Act. and Mon.
Ver. 26. And take the second bullock.] Appointed likely for Baal. This bullock was to be offered up, and with the wood of the grove, in sacrifice to the Lord. We see then that things which have been abused to idolatry, may afterwards be lawfully used in God’s service, as churches, monasteries, chalices, &c. So the men of Bethshemesh took and used the Philistines’ cart and cattle. (1 Samuel 6:15)
Ver. 27. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants.] Who were religious as himself in those corrupt times, and yielded to run the same hazard with him. So that devout centurion had a “devout soldier waiting upon him.” (Acts 10:7) He “feared God with all his house.” (Acts 10:2) That he did it by night.] In executing God’s commands that cannot be done without danger, it is not unlawful to go the wisest way to work, and to proceed in a prudential manner; yea, it is Et licitum et laude dignum, both lawful and commendable.
Ver. 28. Early in the morning.] To do their devotions. So did Nestor in Homer, the Argonauts in Apollonius, the Persian Magi, the Roman Pinarii and Potitii, &c., for a shame to many Christians are late and lag in God’s service.
Ver. 29. Who hath clone this thing?] They should have asked rather, Why hath any one done this? And was not there good reason he should do so? But idolaters “have eyes, and see not,” &c.; they are brutishly carried on, more guided by rage than by right; violence and obstinacy, like two untamed horses, draw their desires in a blindfold career.
Ver. 30. Bring out thy son, that he may die.] Idolatry is bloody, as the experience of all ages testifieth. How Nebuchadnezzar dealt by those who would not worship his golden gods, and how the king of Persia handled Abdas, the bishop who had overturned his idol temple, A.D. 413, I need not relate. The memorable story of William Gardiner, an English martyr in Portugal, who had both his hands cut off, and was afterwards burnt to ashes, for overturning the chalice at Mass, and treading under foot the breaden god, may be read in Mr Foxe’s “Martyrology,” fol. 1242; and so may the story of William Flower, who, for like cause here in England, had first his hand held up against the stake where he was burned, and stricken off. John Clark, of Melda, for testifying against the Pope’s pardons, and calling him Antichrist, was whipped and branded with a hot iron. But the next year, A.D. 1524, for breaking down the images without the town, which the superstitious Papists were the next day to have worshipped, he had first his right hand chopped off, and after that his nose pulled off with pinchers, and then his two arms and his two breasts torn from his body with the same instrument. Amidst his greatest torments he cried out, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.” When they had tired themselves torturing of him, they burnt his body with fire. Act. and Mon., 1427. Scultet., Annal.
Ver. 31. And Joash said unto all that stood against him.] Which were the many headed multitude, that untamed beast. But Joash, by a sudden change of his heart, for he was till now an idolater, and on the defence of his son, bravely withstandeth them, and putteth Baal to plead for himself, which he was ill enough able to do. And by this one seasonable speech, though he were but a single man, he hindered the mischievous multitude from murdering Gideon, who soon after delivered them out of the hand of the Midianites. So Nicodemus, by a word spoken in time, dissolved the council that was gathered together against Christ. (John 7:50-53) It is good to appear for God, though there be few or none to second us: who knows what may be the success?
Ver. 32. He called him Jerubbaal,] i.e., A man against whom Baal is to strive and contend: a title of honour; as were those of Iconomachus and Iconoelastes, image breakers, though given by way of disgrace to some of the Greek emperors.
Ver. 33. Then all the Midianites, &c.] In the worst time that could be for themselves; for now the reformation was begun in Israel, (Judges 6:25) and a door of hope opened unto them.
Ver. 34. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.] Who had not his name for nought: for it signifieth a feller, or cutter down. He had manfully cut down Baal’s grove, and now God had brought him these barbarians that he might hew them down, and cut them in pieces: for which end also the Spirit of the Lord clothed him with wisdom, zeal, and fortitude.
Ver. 35. And they came up to meet them.] Asher was justly blamed by Deborah for their backwardness to fight against Sisera. Here they come with the first. Sarciamus et nos quod peccatum est. It is happy when people mend.
Ver. 36. And Gideon said unto God.] These signs he desired of God, not out of infidelity, but in all humility, for his further confirmation in faith and obedience.