Judges 6 32

Judges 6:32 kjv

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Judges 6:32 nkjv

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar."

Judges 6:32 niv

So because Gideon broke down Baal's altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, "Let Baal contend with him."

Judges 6:32 esv

Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.

Judges 6:32 nlt

From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means "Let Baal defend himself," because he broke down Baal's altar.

Judges 6 verses

Judges 6 32 Meaning

Judges 6:32 describes the immediate consequence of Gideon’s destruction of the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole. After the townspeople demanded Gideon’s life, his father Joash defended him by challenging Baal himself to vindicate his own cause if he truly was a god. In light of this event and challenge, Gideon was given the name Jerubbaal, which means “Let Baal contend” or “Baal will contend.” This name serves as a permanent public declaration of Baal's impotence and the theological truth that only the true God, Yahweh, is mighty and self-sufficient.

Judges 6 32 Context

Judges chapter 6 sets the scene for Gideon's calling. Israel, having done evil in the sight of the Lord, was suffering under severe oppression from the Midianites, Ammonites, and Amalekites for seven years as divine discipline for their idolatry, specifically Baal worship. Gideon, a timid man from the weakest clan of Manasseh, was called by the Angel of the Lord (or the Lord Himself) to deliver Israel. His first act of obedience, commanded by God (Jdg 6:25-26), was to destroy his father's local altar to Baal and cut down the accompanying Asherah pole, and then build an altar to Yahweh in its place. This covert action was discovered by the townspeople who then demanded Gideon’s death (Jdg 6:28-30).

Verse 32 marks a pivotal moment in this narrative. Gideon's father, Joash, a worshipper of Baal himself, responds to the angry mob. His response, recorded in this verse, shifts the argument. Instead of defending Gideon or pleading for his son, Joash challenges Baal's very nature and power. He essentially says, "If Baal is truly a god, let him contend against Gideon for tearing down his altar. He needs no human defender." This challenge highlights the deep syncretism present in Israel where Yahweh was worshipped alongside false gods. It directly served as a polemic against Baal worship, exposing the impotency of the false god who could not even protect his own shrine, thereby setting the stage for Yahweh's demonstration of power through Gideon.

Judges 6 32 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakēn): This adverb of deduction indicates a conclusion or consequence based on the preceding events—Gideon’s audacious act of destroying the altar and the angry response of the townspeople demanding his death. It signifies the logical outcome of Joash’s preceding challenge.

• on that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, bayyōm hahū): This temporal phrase emphasizes the immediacy and significance of the event. The giving of the name Jerubbaal was not a gradual or distant decision but a direct, instantaneous public reaction to the destruction of the altar and the subsequent dramatic confrontation. It underscores the decisive turning point this event represented for Gideon and the community's perception of him.

• he called him (וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ, wayyiqrā lō): While some interpretations credit Joash with giving the name, the passive form “one called him” or the collective "the people called him" is also strongly implied by the broader context and commentaries. This indicates that Gideon's new identity as "Jerubbaal" was publicly adopted and recognized by the community, stemming from Joash's definitive challenge to Baal.

• Jerubbaal (יְרֻבַּעַל, Yĕrubba‘al): This compound Hebrew name directly translates to "let Baal contend" or "Baal will contend/strive." It's derived from the root רוּב (rūv), meaning "to contend," and בַּעַל (Ba‘al), the Canaanite storm and fertility god. The name is a potent theological statement and a direct challenge to the power and legitimacy of Baal. It transformed Gideon's identity from a humble, fearful farmer into a living testament to Baal's powerlessness, acting as a constant reminder of the defeated idol.

• saying (לֵאמֹר, lē'mōr): This infinitive construction introduces the direct explanation or rationale behind the newly bestowed name. It signifies that the name "Jerubbaal" was not arbitrary but rooted in a specific statement or challenge related to the event.

• Let Baal contend against him (יָרֶב בוֹ הַבַּעַל, yārev bô habba‘al): This is the heart of Joash’s taunt and the theological pivot of the verse. It is a direct imperative and challenge to Baal, asking him to demonstrate his deity by defending himself against Gideon, who dared to dismantle his altar. This declaration asserts that if Baal is truly a god, he is perfectly capable of fighting his own battles without human assistance. The 'him' refers to Gideon.

• because he has torn down his altar (כִּי נָתַץ אֶת־מִזְבְּחוֹ, kî nātaṣ ’eṯ-mizbᵉḥōw): This phrase provides the specific reason for the challenge issued to Baal. Gideon's action of nātaṣ (נָתַץ), meaning "to tear down" or "violently break apart," signifies a decisive and complete destruction of the altar, not just mere damage. This act of bold obedience to Yahweh is what provoked both human rage and Joash’s definitive challenge to the idol.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal": This phrase ties Gideon's public identification directly to his courageous (and initially secret) act of obedience and the subsequent community confrontation. It emphasizes the immediacy of his public recognition and the symbolic weight carried by his new name, marking him as God’s appointed challenger to Baal.
  • "saying, 'Let Baal contend against him, because he has torn down his altar'": This serves as the public explanation and justification for Gideon’s new name. More profoundly, it functions as a potent theological dare, shifting the responsibility from human punishment for desecration to the idol's supposed power to avenge itself. This rhetorical challenge reveals the profound truth about idol worship: false gods are powerless, cannot defend their honor, and their silence implicitly proves the supreme power of the living God, Yahweh.

Judges 6 32 Bonus section

• The name Jerubbaal sometimes appears synonymously with Gideon in later parts of Judges (e.g., Jdg 7:1, 8:29), indicating its lasting significance as his public epithet, representing his defining act of confronting idolatry.
• The legalistic language implied in rūv (contend/strive) suggests that Joash was placing Baal "on trial." Baal was given the opportunity to present his case and assert his power. His silence, or lack of contention, implicitly delivers a verdict: Baal is powerless, not divine.
• This specific incident provides a powerful theological precedent for discerning true divinity: a true God demonstrates power and action, while idols are inert and require human fabrication and defense.
• While initially fearful, Gideon's first act of public obedience marked him as an instrument of God. The town's fury turned into a theological debate due to Joash's intervention, allowing for a divine demonstration that would eventually lead the people back to acknowledging Yahweh's supreme authority.

Judges 6 32 Commentary

Judges 6:32 is a profound moment in the Gideon narrative, shifting the narrative from Gideon’s personal fear and initial obedience to a public theological statement. The name "Jerubbaal" encapsulates the central conflict: the impotence of false gods versus the active power of Yahweh. When Joash declared, "Let Baal contend against him," he presented a divine challenge to the community, forcing them to confront the reality that their chosen god could not even defend his own cultic site. Baal's utter silence and failure to act was the most damning testimony to his non-existence and impotence. This event served to vindicate Gideon's audacious act and established Yahweh as the true and sole deliverer of Israel, without needing human defense. This naming ceremony essentially consecrated Gideon for his mission not merely as a military leader but as a spiritual challenger against idolatry, publicly identified with his confrontational stance against Baal. It marks Gideon's transition from obscurity to being a visible agent of God’s redemptive work, despite his continued struggles with doubt.