Study Desk

So say to all the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and shaking with fear may leave Mount Gilead and return home.'" So 22,000 people returned. But 10,000 stayed.

Then the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water. I will test them for you there. Whoever I say is to go with you will go. But whoever I say is not to go with you will not go."

There were 300 men who drank from their hand, putting their hand to their mouth. But all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.

But if you are afraid to go down, go with your servant Purah down to their tents.

His friend answered and said, "This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Midian and all the army into his hand."

But he said to them, "What have I done to compare with you? Are not the grapes that are left of Ephraim better than all the grapes gathered of Abiezer?

Then Gideon and the 300 men with him came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were tired but they kept going.

But the leaders of Succoth said, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?"

Then he said to Jether his first-born son, "Stand up and kill them." But the boy did not pick up his sword. He was afraid because he was still a boy.

But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you. And my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you."

Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah. And he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. He killed all seventy men upon one stone. But Jerubbaal's youngest son Jotham was left alive, because he hid himself.

But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my riches of oil by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my good sweet fruit, and go to wave over the trees?'

But the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine which makes God and men happy, and go to wave over the trees?'

And the thorn bush said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are choosing me as king over you, come and be safe in my shadow. But if not, may fire come out of the thorn bush and burn up the tall trees of Lebanon.'

But you have gone against my father's house today. You have killed seventy of his sons on one stone. Abimelech is the son of my father's woman servant. And you have made him king over the people of Shechem, because he is your brother.

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the people of Shechem and Beth-millo. Then let it burn up Abimelech."

Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech? And who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? Is not Zebul his leader? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve Abimelech?

When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, "See, men are coming down from the mountain tops!" But Zebul said to him, "It is the shadow of the mountains that looks like men to you."

Abimelech stayed at Arumah. But Zebul drove out Gaal and his family so they could not stay in Shechem.