Bible Characters
Who Was Gideon in the Bible? The Judge Who Defeated Midian With 300 Men
Gideon was a judge of Israel from the tribe of Manasseh who delivered the Israelites from seven years of Midianite oppression (Judges 6:1, 6:15). God called him while he was hiding from raiders, reduced his army from 32,000 to 300, and gave him victory with trumpets, jars and torches (Judges 7:2-22). His story is told in Judges 6-8, and he is listed among the people of faith in Hebrews 11:32.
Gideon's life shows both sides of a leader. He obeyed God in fear and won a great deliverance, but late in life he made a gold ephod that became a snare to Israel (Judges 8:27).
Gideon Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Usually understood as "one who cuts down" or "hewer" |
| Other name | Jerub-Baal, meaning "let Baal contend" (Judges 6:32) |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | Judges 6-8; also mentioned in 1 Samuel 12:11 and Hebrews 11:32 |
| Time period | Period of the judges, roughly the 12th century BC (traditional dating) |
| Family | Son of Joash the Abiezrite, from Ophrah (Judges 6:11) |
| Known for | The fleece, the 300 men, and the defeat of Midian |
Israel Under Midian
The Book of Judges describes a repeated pattern: Israel did evil, God handed them over to an enemy, the people cried out, and God raised up a deliverer. In Gideon's day the enemy was Midian. For seven years the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples swept into the land at harvest time and destroyed crops and livestock (Judges 6:1-5).
The Israelites hid in mountain clefts and caves (Judges 6:2). When they cried to the Lord, He first sent a prophet to remind them that they had not listened to Him (Judges 6:7-10). Gideon's story follows the judgeship of Deborah and Barak, which you can read about in our profile who was Deborah in the Bible.
The Call of Gideon
When the angel of the Lord came to Ophrah, Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it hidden from the Midianites (Judges 6:11). The greeting he received did not match his situation:
"When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.'" (Judges 6:12, NIV)
Gideon answered with questions. If the Lord was with Israel, why had all this happened, and where were the wonders their ancestors described (Judges 6:13)? When told to go and save Israel, he objected that his clan was the weakest in Manasseh and he was the least in his family (Judges 6:15). The Lord promised to be with him and said he would strike down the Midianites (Judges 6:16).
Gideon asked for a sign. He prepared a young goat and bread, and the angel touched the offering with his staff. Fire flared from the rock and consumed it (Judges 6:19-21). Gideon built an altar there and gave it a name declaring that the Lord is peace (Judges 6:24).
Tearing Down Baal's Altar
Gideon's first assignment was at home. God told him to tear down his father's altar to Baal, cut down the Asherah pole beside it, and build a proper altar to the Lord (Judges 6:25-26). Gideon took ten servants and did it at night because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople (Judges 6:27).
The next morning the men of the town demanded his death. His father Joash replied that if Baal were a god, he could defend himself (Judges 6:30-31). From then on Gideon was called Jerub-Baal (Judges 6:32).
The Fleece
When the Midianites and their allies camped in the Valley of Jezreel, the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon. He blew a trumpet and summoned men from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali (Judges 6:33-35).
Before going to battle, Gideon asked God for confirmation. He laid a wool fleece on the threshing floor and asked that it be wet with dew while the ground stayed dry. The next morning he wrung out a bowlful of water (Judges 6:36-38). He then asked for the reverse, a dry fleece on wet ground, and God did that too (Judges 6:39-40). The text records these requests and God's answers without further comment.
From 32,000 to 300
Gideon gathered 32,000 men. God said the army was too large, because Israel might boast that its own strength had saved it (Judges 7:2). Anyone afraid was allowed to go home, and 22,000 left (Judges 7:3).
Ten thousand remained, and God said it was still too many. Gideon took them to the water. Those who lapped water with their hands to their mouths numbered 300, and the rest knelt down to drink. God chose the 300 (Judges 7:5-7).
The Dream of the Barley Loaf
That night God told Gideon to attack. Knowing he was afraid, God also invited him to go down to the enemy camp with his servant Purah (Judges 7:9-11). There Gideon overheard a Midianite describe a dream in which a round loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp and flattened a tent. His companion interpreted it as the sword of Gideon (Judges 7:13-14). Gideon worshiped and returned to his men (Judges 7:15).
Trumpets, Jars and Torches
Gideon divided the 300 into three companies. Each man carried a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside (Judges 7:16). At the start of the middle watch they surrounded the camp, blew the trumpets, smashed the jars and shouted a battle cry naming both the Lord and Gideon (Judges 7:19-20).
The Lord caused the Midianites to turn on each other with their swords, and the army fled (Judges 7:22). Men from Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh and Ephraim joined the pursuit, and the Ephraimites captured and killed the Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:23-25).
Pursuing the Kings of Midian
The Ephraimites complained that Gideon had not called them sooner. He answered them gently, pointing out that they had captured Oreb and Zeeb, and their resentment eased (Judges 8:1-3).
Gideon and his exhausted men crossed the Jordan chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. The officials of Succoth and the men of Peniel refused to give them bread (Judges 8:4-9). Gideon captured both kings (Judges 8:12), then returned and punished Succoth and Peniel as he had warned (Judges 8:16-17). He executed Zebah and Zalmunna after learning they had killed his brothers at Tabor (Judges 8:18-21).
Gideon's Refusal and His Mistake
After the victory, the Israelites asked Gideon to rule over them and to establish his sons as rulers after him. He refused, saying that neither he nor his son would rule over them, because the Lord would rule over them (Judges 8:22-23).
He then made a request. He asked each man for a gold earring from the plunder, and the gold came to 1,700 shekels (Judges 8:24-26). Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in Ophrah. The text says all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family (Judges 8:27).
Peace, Family and Aftermath
Midian did not raise its head again, and the land had peace for forty years during Gideon's lifetime (Judges 8:28). He had many wives and seventy sons (Judges 8:30). A concubine in Shechem bore him a son named Abimelek (Judges 8:31).
Gideon died at a good old age and was buried in his father's tomb (Judges 8:32). Soon afterward Israel returned to the Baals (Judges 8:33). Abimelek murdered seventy of his brothers on one stone, and only the youngest, Jotham, escaped (Judges 9:5). Judges 9 records the violent result of Abimelek's attempt to rule.
Lessons From Gideon's Life
- God works through people who feel weak. Gideon called himself the least in his family, and God still sent him (Judges 6:15-16).
- Victory belongs to the Lord. God reduced the army so Israel could not claim the credit (Judges 7:2).
- Obedience can start at home. Gideon's first task was removing idolatry from his own father's property (Judges 6:25-27).
- A good start does not guarantee a good finish. The same man who refused a throne made an ephod that led Israel into idolatry (Judges 8:23, 8:27).
- Faith can exist alongside fear. Gideon acted at night out of fear (Judges 6:27), yet Hebrews 11:32 includes him among those who acted by faith.
Where Gideon Appears in the Bible
- Judges 6: Midianite oppression, Gideon's call, the altar, and the fleece
- Judges 7: The 300 men and the defeat of Midian
- Judges 8: Pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, the ephod, and Gideon's death
- Judges 9: His son Abimelek and Jotham's parable, with references to Jerub-Baal
- 1 Samuel 12:11: Samuel names Jerub-Baal among the deliverers God sent
- Psalm 83:11: The fate of Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna is recalled
- Isaiah 9:4 and 10:26: The defeat of Midian is recalled
- Hebrews 11:32: Gideon is listed with other people of faith
For more on the leaders who came before and after Gideon, see who was Joshua in the Bible. If you enjoy guessing characters from clues, try our Bible riddles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Gideon known for in the Bible?
Gideon is known for defeating the Midianites with only 300 men who carried trumpets, jars and torches (Judges 7:16-22). He is also known for asking God for signs with a wool fleece (Judges 6:36-40).
Why did God reduce Gideon's army to 300?
God said the army of 32,000 was too large because Israel might boast that its own strength had saved it (Judges 7:2). Reducing the army to 300 made clear that the victory came from the Lord.
What does the fleece of Gideon mean?
Gideon asked God to make a fleece wet while the ground stayed dry, and then the reverse, as confirmation that God would save Israel through him (Judges 6:36-40). God granted both requests.
Was Gideon a good or bad judge?
The Bible records both faithfulness and failure. Gideon obeyed God, delivered Israel and refused to be king (Judges 8:23), but he made a gold ephod that Israel worshiped and that became a snare to his family (Judges 8:27).
How many sons did Gideon have?
Gideon had seventy sons by his many wives, plus Abimelek, born to a concubine in Shechem (Judges 8:30-31). Abimelek later killed all his brothers except Jotham (Judges 9:5).