What does Judges 6:6 mean?

God's judgment on Israel for their sin—serving other gods and participating in their vile evils—was severe. Israel became a beaten people in every sense of the word (Judges 6:1–5). Year after year, Midianite invaders came from the east in numbers so vast that the people were simply overpowered. Resistance was useless. Waves of camels carrying Midianites, Amalekites, and others from beyond the Jordan River would arrive around harvest time. These swarms would flood Israel's territory with foreign invaders. The people could do nothing to stop it. When the enemy finally left, they took with them everything that could be used for food.

This verse poignantly summarizes the effect this had on the people. They were broken down, humiliated, and ruined. That's what it took for them to finally cry out to God for His aid, instead of honoring the false gods which had failed to protect them. They asked the Lord for help (Judges 2:11–19), and He began to act. His first step, in this case, is to send a prophetic voice to scold the people for their persistent sin (Judges 6:7).