25 Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull [a]and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the [b](A)Asherah that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly way, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27 Then Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

28 When the people of the city got up early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal had been torn down, and the Asherah which had been beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar which had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30 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.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will contend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, since someone has torn down his altar!” 32 Therefore on that day he named [c]Gideon (B)Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:25 Or even
  2. Judges 6:25 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity; also vv 26, 28, 30
  3. Judges 6:32 Lit him

25 Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and (A)tear down the altar of (B)Baal that your father has, and (C)cut down the [a]wooden image that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this [b]rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 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.”

31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you [c]plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” 32 Therefore on that day he called him (D)Jerubbaal,[d] saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:25 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  2. Judges 6:26 stronghold
  3. Judges 6:31 contend
  4. Judges 6:32 Lit. Let Baal Plead