What does Judges 6:34 mean?

A remarkable thing happens in this verse. When God first called Gideon, he was literally hiding from the enemy (Judges 6:11–12). His first response to the Lord's call was a request for a miraculous confirmation (Judges 6:17). Gideon had described himself as the least of his father's household and from the weakest of the clans of his tribe (Judges 6:15). Implied in this analysis was an assumption that no one would ever want to follow him into battle. The Lord simply responded that He would be with Gideon (Judges 6:16).

Now the Lord comes to Gideon in an undeniably powerful way. The Holy Spirit surrounds and empowers Gideon—the text symbolically depicts this as being like clothing. The very power of God comes to rest in and on Gideon in the form of God's own Spirit. The evidence of this, to Gideon and everyone else, is that when lowly, timid, controversial Gideon (Judges 6:29–30) sounds the trumpet to battle invading Midianites, everyone follows.

This begins with the people of his own clan, the Abiezrites. Some of these same people had called for Gideon to be killed in the previous verses. Now his clansmen come to fight by his side. It's possible he gained their respect when he boldly tore down the Baal altar—but it's also likely the Lord's Spirit is at work through Gideon. This sudden fervor is contagious, and other tribes will follow suit (Judges 6:35).