Judges 6:25

_AND IT CAME TO PASS THE SAME NIGHT, THAT THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, TAKE THY FATHER'S YOUNG BULLOCK, EVEN THE SECOND BULLOCK OF SEVEN YEARS OLD, AND THROW DOWN THE ALTAR OF BAAL THAT THY FATHER HATH, AND CUT DOWN THE GROVE THAT IS BY IT:_ And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him. The transaction in which Gideon is here described as engaged was not entered on until the night after the vision. TAKE THY FATHER'S ... SECOND BULLOCK. The Midianites had probably reduced the family herd; or, as Gideon's father was addicted to idolatry, the best may have been fattened for the service of Baal; so that the second was the only remaining one fit for sacrifice to God. THROW DOWN THE ALTAR OF BAAL THAT THY FATHER HATH - standing upon his ground, though kept for the common use of the townsmen. CUT DOWN THE GROVE THAT IS BY IT - dedicated to Ashtaroth. With the aid of 10 confide...

25-32 See the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great Sacrifice, no good is to be expected. God, who has all hearts in his hands, influenced Joash to appear for his son against the advocates for Baal, though he had joined formerly in the worship of Baal. Let us do our duty, and trust God with our safety. Here is a challenge to Baal, to do either good or evil; the result convinced his worshippers of their folly, in praying to one to help them that could not avenge himself....

Verse 25. _TAKE THY FATHER'S YOUNG BULLOCK, EVEN THE SECOND_ _BULLOCK_] There is some difficulty in this verse, for, according to the Hebrew text, two bullocks are mentioned here; but there is only one mentioned in Judges 6:26; Judges 6:28. But what was this _second_ bullock? Some think that it was a bullock that was fattened in order to be offered in sacrifice to Baal. This is very probable, as the _second bullock_ is so particularly distinguished from _another_ which belonged to Gideon's father. As the altar was built upon the ground of Joash, yet appears to have been public property, (see Judges 6:29-7), so this _second ox_ was probably reared and fattened at the expense of the men o...

EVEN - Rather, as in the margin, and. Two bullocks are spoken of. The labor of both would be required for pulling down and removing the altar of Baal, and for bringing the materials for building the altar of Yahweh. THE GROVE BY IT - Rather, “the idol upon it,” the Asherah, the wooden image of Astarte Judges 3:7....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 6:25 THE SAME NIGHT, etc. The iron was hot; it was time to strike. As regards what follows, there are two ways of understanding the verse. One, that of the A.V; supposes that only one bullock is spoken of, and that "_the _young bullock" belonging to Joash is further described as "even the second bullock of seven years old;" to which it is objected that a bullock of seven years old is not "a young bullock," "the bullock of an _ox_,"_ _as the Hebrew phrase is, and that there is no explanation of the meaning of "the second bullock;" and that the Hebrew manifestly describes two bullocks: (1) Joash's young bullock, and (2) the bullock of seven years old. The other supposes two bullocks, and instead of has the more natural rendering and. The only objection

AND IT CAME TO PASS THE SAME NIGHT,.... The night which followed the day in which the angel appeared to Gideon as he was threshing: THAT THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM; perhaps in a dream, since it was in the night: take thy father's young bullock: or "the bullock, the ox" p; a bullock which was a large grown ox, and was not only his father's property, but what his father designed and set apart for the service of Baal; and though it was his father's, yet having a divine warrant for it, it was sufficient for him to take it without his leave, and especially as it was designed for such an ill use: EVEN THE SECOND BULLOCK OF SEVEN YEARS OLD; which, according to Hesiod q is in its prime and full strength at nine years old, and lives much longer. In Homer r, one of five years old is said to be sacrificed: this further describes what he was to take, the second that stood in the stall of the bullocks,...

GROVE See (Deuteronomy 16:21). (_ See Scofield) - (Judges 3:7). _...

4. FOURTH DECLENSION: UNDER MIDIAN AND GIDEON, TOLA AND JAIR CHAPTER 6 _ 1. Israel's suffering from Midian (Judges 6:1)_ 2. Their repentance and the divine answer (Judges 6:7) 3. Gideon, the deliverer, chosen (Judges 6:11) 4. The restored worship (Judges 6:25) 5. The gathering for the conflict (Judges 6:33) 6. The sign of the fleece (Judges 6:36) After Deborah and Barak the land had fifty years' rest, and when again they did

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ALTAR OF BAAL. We have seen that after the Conquest Yahweh was reverently and innocently called the Baal (Lord) of the land, and that loyal Israelites gave their children Baal names. The present section, in which the Baal of Ophrah is _distinguished_ from Yahweh, and regarded as a heathen god, must have been written after the time of Hosea, who was the first to condemn the practice of applying the name Baal to the God of Israel (Hosea 2:17)_._ The point of the story is that Baal, who, if worth his salt, should be able to plead for himself, is challenged to do so, and found to be impotent. Baal has fallen on evil days, when any daring spirit can laugh at him with impunity as Elijah mocked the Phœ nician Baal (1 Kings 18:27)....

EVEN, or "and". THE GROVE. the _'asherah._ See Exodus 34:13. App-42....