Judges 6:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it."

NIV: The people of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."

NASB: Then the men of the city said to Joash, 'Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.'

CSB: Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he tore down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."

NLT: Bring out your son,' the men of the town demanded of Joash. 'He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole.'

KJV: Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring 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.

NKJV: Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.”

Before the Lord appeared to him (Judges 6:11–12), Gideon likely never have dreamed of dismantling his town's altar to Baal and the Asherah pole next to it (Judges 6:25–28). His family participated in Baal worship alongside the rest of the town. Gideon himself may have served Baal right up until the day Yahweh showed up and told him to tear down the Baal altar.

Now, though, Gideon is in serious trouble. The men of the town have learned Gideon is the one who risked Baal's wrath on them all. He is the one who ordered servants to help him demolish the Baal altar. He is responsible for chopping up and burning the sacred Asherah pole, building an altar to another god—the real God—and offering a bull on it. This was not a mere act of blasphemy against Baal and Asherah, this was a statement of utter contempt.

Gideon's neighbors likely believe they are all in trouble if they cannot get back on Baal's good side. They have a solution, one which is not surprising. They corner Gideon's father, Joash, and tell him to hand over his son so they can kill him for what he has done. Baal's honor must be defended. Joash offers a surprisingly rational answer that not only defuses the mob's anger, but it also earns Gideon a new alias (Judges 6:31–32).

Judges 6:28–35 describes what happens when Gideon's neighbors discover he has toppled the Baal altar and Asherah pole and replaced them with an altar to Yahweh. They demand Gideon's father Joash let them kill Gideon. Joash defends his son, challenging Baal to fight his own battles, if he cares to. This earns Gideon the nickname Jerubbaal, implying his conflict with Baal. When the Midianites return on another raid to take Israel's food (Judges 6:1–5), God empowers Gideon and people from several tribes to battle against Midian and her allies from east of the Jordan.

Israel follows the sad pattern of the book of Judges, and once again turns to evil and idols. God turns them over to the Midianites. These foreign raiders spend the next seven years invading and consuming Israel's crops and livestock. Israel cries for help to the Lord. His first step is to send a prophet to remind them of God's goodness and their disobedience. The Lord then appears to Gideon, commanding him to save Israel because God will be with him. Gideon obeys God's command to tear down a Baal altar and build one to Yahweh in its place. He calls his countrymen to follow him and asks for signs from God.

The book of Judges contains a series of stories with a common theme: Israel falls into sin, suffers, and is rescued by God, only to fall once again (Judges 1—2). The next phase in Israel's downward spiral comes after 40 years of peace, won by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4—5). Israel is punished for sin through the Midianites. After seven years, the Israelites cry out for help. The Lord appears to Gideon, challenging the timid man to lead the battle against Israel's oppressors. Empowered by the Spirit, Gideon calls for his people to follow him, but still asks the Lord for signs. Gideon's successful campaigns are depicted in chapters 7 and 8.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).