📖 Biblical Definition
Gideon is one of the major judges of Israel, called by God to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to him in the winepress, Gideon was threshing wheat in hiding — the least member of the weakest clan (Judges 6:15). God deliberately reduced his army from 32,000 to 300, "lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me'" (Judges 7:2). With three hundred men, trumpets, and clay jars with torches inside, Gideon routed the Midianite host. The victory belongs to God, not to human strength or numbers. Gideon rightly refused the offer of kingship, saying "the LORD will rule over you" (Judges 8:23), yet his story ends tragically — he made a golden ephod that became a snare to Israel. Gideon demonstrates that God uses the weak and the few to shame the strong and the many (1 Corinthians 1:27), and that even the deliverers of Israel were imperfect shadows pointing to the true Deliverer.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
A judge of Israel who delivered the nation from Midianite oppression with three hundred men.
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GID'EON, n. [Heb. גדעון, a feller.] The fifth judge of Israel, son of Joash of the tribe of Manasseh. Called by the angel of the LORD to deliver Israel from the Midianites. With three hundred chosen men he routed the vast Midianite army, demonstrating that the battle belongs to the LORD.
📖 Key Scripture
• Judges 6:12 — "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor."
• Judges 6:15 — "My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
• Judges 7:2 — "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast."
• Judges 7:20 — "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"
• Hebrews 11:32 — "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon..."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Gideon's fleece is turned into a method for seeking God's will, and his story is told as human courage rather than divine power.
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Two common distortions plague modern readings of Gideon. First, "putting out a fleece" has become a popular method for seeking God's guidance — asking for specific signs to confirm decisions. But Gideon's fleece was a sign of weak faith, not strong faith. God had already spoken clearly; Gideon was asking for confirmation because he doubted. Second, Gideon is often preached as a story of human courage — "God can use even the weakest person." While true at surface level, this misses the theological point. The reduction from 32,000 to 300 was not about finding the bravest men — it was about ensuring that no one could claim the victory. The point is divine power, not human potential. God deliberately stacks the odds against His people so that when deliverance comes, it is unmistakably His work.
Usage
• "God reduced Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300 for one reason: so that no one could say 'my own hand saved me' — the victory belongs to the LORD alone."
• "Putting out a fleece is not a model for guidance — it is a portrait of weak faith. God had already spoken; Gideon was the one still doubting."
• "The clay jars with torches inside picture the treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels — the light of God shining through the brokenness of His servants."