Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 6 · Verses 28-32 – Verses 33-35
28 And when the men of city roſe roſe earely in the morning, they ſaw the altar of Baall deſtroyed, & the groue, that was by it was cutte down, and the ſecond bullocke offred vponupon the altar that was made.
29 And they ſaid one to an other, who hath done this thing? & whē they enquired and aſked, they ſayd Gideon the ſonne of Ioas hath done this thinge.
30 Then ſayd the men of the city vntounto Ioas, Bring out thy ſonne that he may dye: becauſe he hath deſtroyed the aultar of Baal, and hath alſo cut downe the groue that was by it.
31 Ioas aunſweared vntounto all thoſe that ſtoode by: will ye pleade Baals cauſe? Or will ye ſaue him? He that will pleade for him let him dye ere the morninge. If he be god, let him pleade for himſelf againſt him that hath caſt downe his altar.
32 And he called him in yt day Ierubbaal: ſaying: Let Baal pleade with him, bicauſe he hath broken down his altar.
They moſt grieuouſly proſecute the matter againſt him which had inuiolated the ſacred thinges of Baal, and yet they ſuffred the worſhipping of the true god to lye neglected and deſpiſed. It is the maner of humane wiſedome, with earneſt labour to defend theyr owne inuentions: and obſtinately to reſiſte thoſe thinges which god hath commaunded. They will kill Gideon, as a ſacrileger and moſte pernicious heretike, they behaue themſelfes ſediciouſly againſt the Magiſtrate, they ſhew forth no lawes, but in a certayne blinde fury they iudge the crime cō mitted to be vtterlye worthye of death, when as they themſelues rather ſhould hauehave bene condēned worthy of death, bicauſe they had violated the worſhipping not of an idole, but of ye true God. What he was ye ſhewed that Gideō did theſe thinges, the hiſtory expreſſeth not. God ſuffreth not ſuch thinges to be hidden therfore he had means and ways in a maner infinite, whereby he would make them open. But to know what were the tokens of the thyngs done, it is no ſkil to vsus, but let vsus diligently marke the impotency of idolatrers.Idolatrers can not abide to hauehave vngodlye worſhippinges taken away. They cannot by any meanes abide to hauehave wicked worſhippinges taken away. The Hebrewes ſayd vntounto Ieremy that they would vtterly worſhippe the queene of heauen, that is the moone and other ſtarres. The Epheſians being as it were in a rage, cried without meane or reaſon, Great is Diana of the Epheſians. The Romaines whileſt Italy was waſted by the Gothes, Vandales, and Lombardes, neyther cried nor deſired any other thing, but that the alters and temples of idoles might be reſtored. That ſaid they was ye hed of euils, bicauſe the holy ſeruices of country were aboliſhed. The like example do we no ſee in theſe men, they neither wil nor can not abide, that Gideon ſhuld eſcape whō they ſaw had cut down theyr idolatry. Now is Gideon counted a ſeditious fellow, which hath committed ſuch thinges as we at this day of the greteſt part of chriſtendome ar accuſed of ſedicion, which hauehave diſturbed falſe worſhippinges now being receaued. And we graunt indede that ſeditions ar to be auoided as much as may be, bicauſe ciuile peace is a good thinge which wiſe and quiet mindes ought to deſire.Obedience to the word of god is to be preferred before euil… peace. But contraryly the truth is not to be ſuppreſſed, nether muſt we ſin againſt the worſhipping of God, and it is much better to defēd the word of god thā ciuile peace. EueryEvery godly man ſo roweth when tranquility of the publike wealth cannot be coupled with the obedience of the word of God. Wherfore for aſmuch as the one or the other is to be choſen, the whole and vncorrupted worſhipping of God ought rather to be wiſhed for, thā the commodity of outward peace. For the end of cities and publike wealthes is, to obey God, and rightly to worſhi…pe god, that is by his word and preſcribed rule. For to hauehave a city or publike wealth quiet and peaceable, is not by it ſelf neceſſary, but to obey God, to beleue his word, and to worſhippe him as he hath preſcribed, is the ſumme and end of all humayne things, and therefore it is to be preferred aboue all good thinges. Neither is it anye newe or vnaccuſtomed thing, that by true piety ſedicions are ſtirred vp. Chriſt of that thing hath admoniſhed vsus: I came not (ſayth he) to ſend peace on the earth, but a ſworde. I came to kindle fire: what will I, but that it ſhould burne? The time ſhall come ſayth he, that for the Goſpels ſake, the father from the childe, the children from the parentes, brethern from brethren, ſhall not onelyonly be alienated, but which is more cruell,The godly are not guilty of the troubles whych happen for religions ſake. they ſhall deliuer one an other to the death. And yet theſe ſedicions & troubles are not to be aſcribed vntounto the godly: foraſmuch as they whēthey obey god, do not depart from their office, they do that which they ſhould do: the fault conſiſteth in the vngodly and idolatrers, they are to be accuſed, and cōdempned as guilty of thoſe euils, becauſe they can not abide the truth, neyther will they obey the word of god. Wherfore prechers of the goſpel ar to be abſolued of this crime: for ſediciōs ſpring not throgh theyr default which obey god, but through the peruerſnes of the world, which ſtreyght rageth agaynſt the word of god.
Ioas, like a wiſe and ſtoute Magiſtrate, at the beginning aſſwageth the people being in an vprore, ſhewing them how vnworthy a thinge they doo, when they beyng priuate men, dare auenge the cauſe of Baal. VVill ye pleade his cauſe? As though he ſhould hauehave ſayd. It is not your office, it pertayneth to me and the other magiſtrates. And then he maketh a proclamation agaynſt the ſedicious perſons. He that will ſo ſtand in Baals cauſe, ſhal dye, and that this daye, or the morninge. He ſhal not liue till morning, for he ſhalbe executed out of hand. If Baal be god, let him plead his own cauſe agaynſt him, which hath caſt down hys altar, and hath cut down h…s groue. If the matter be to be diſcuſſed without iudgemente and ordinary action, Baal hath no neede of thys your helpe: for ſeing he is god, he can right wel reuenge himſelf. The laſt part of this ſentence is ſomewhat dark. He that wil plead. Lo, for him or againſt him, let him dy this day before morning. Some expounde this woorde Lo, to ſignify, for him namely for Baal, as though the …retor had put forth his decree after this maner: Whoſoeuer goeth aboute to moue ſedition, as though he would pleade for Baal, him will I ſtrayghtewaye puniſh, as a troubleſome citezen, which dareth to take vponupon him more then hys ſtate may ſuffer. The other ſenſe is to expound this woorde Lo, againſt him, as though he ſhould hauehave ſayde: do not rage in this ſorte, bycauſe he ſhall vtterlye dye, and that this day before morning, which agaynſt Baal hath pleaded and contended. By the power of this god he ſhall not ſo eſcape. And this ſentence ſeemeth to be confirmed by the words which follow: If he be god, let him pleade his owne cauſe agaynſt him, which hath done him iniurye. But I rather allowe the fyrſt ſentence: becauſe the holy ſcripture rather vſeth this word Lo in that ſenſe.
Gideon by his fathers aunſwer was named Ierubbaal. He ſhal plead (ſaith Ioas or let Baal plead againſt him. Theſe ar words ether of them that praieth, which would ſo ſpeake in earneſt or faynedly, or els of one that affirmeth as though he ſhould affirm, that it ſhould vtterly ſo come to paſſe. The men which herd theſe word…s, either becauſe they meruayled that the father wiſhed theſe things vntounto his ſonne, or els bycauſe they beleued that the earth would ſtrayghtway ſwalow him vp, or the lightning would deſtroy him, or that god would by ſome exquiſit puniſhment puniſh him, they waited (I ſay) to ſee what would happen. And therfore they called him Ierubbaal. And his ſurname was then of farre more eſtimation, when they ſaw that he eſcaped ſafe and ſound, and contrarye to the hope of all men deliuered the Iſraelites from the power of theyr enemies.
By this example Magiſtrates may know what they ſhould doo,The office of a ſtout Magiſtrate agaynſte tumultes bycauſe of religiō when Papiſtes ſtirre vp ſedition or tumult in their dominion, bicauſe Maſſes are abrogated, Idolatry taken away, and the Pope throwen downe. They muſt valiantly ſtande by it, and muſt declare, that this charge pertaineth not vntounto theſe, by violēce to defend rites and ſuperſticions: foraſmuch as they hauehave not the ſword: theyr care ſhould be this, to ſee that godlynes be rightlye and orderlye appointed. If ſo bee that they deſire any thing againſt lawes or right, and thinke that they hauehave the better cauſe, let them from God waite for the ſucceſſe. He is of himſelfe by nature both mighty and wife, and therefore if he allowe the Maſſe, the Pope and ſuperſtitions, hee wyll then take thoſe thinges in hande himſelfe. In the meane time they ought to compel their ſubiectes to obey iuſt and healthful decrees. By theſe thinges it appeareth as I ſuppoſe, that Ioas was not a Baalite from the hart, for he could not hauehave ſaid: If h…e God, let him pleade his own cauſe. Vnles thou will faine that he ſaid, in time to come Baal ſhal pleade his owne cauſe: but what he before iudged of Baal, now he declareth, when he ſeeth the daunger of death that his ſonne is in for his ſake.
33 Then al the Madianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of Kedem were gathered together, and pitched their tentes in the valley of Iſzreel.
34 And the ſpirite of the Lorde did put on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after hym.
35 And he ſent meſſengers through out al Manaſſeh, and he alſo was ioyned wyth hym. And he ſent meſſengers vntounto Aſer and Zebulon, and to Nephthali, and they came vp to meete hym.
When the vprore & ſeditions wer pacified, which were ſtirred vp for a thing godlily done of Gideon, God prouided that occaſion ſhoulde be geuen, whereby he might by Gideon geue vntounto the Iſraelites the victory againſt their enemyes. That thereby at the laſt they might vnderſtand with howe muche godlines and profit, the worſhipping of Baal was taken away. In the cōming of the enemyes the ſpirit of the Lord did put on Gideon, the ſpirit I ſay of ſtrength, as the Chaldey Paraphraſt interpreteth. God had before appointed Gideon for a ſauiour of the Hebrues, now when he ſhould go forth vntounto the battail, he ſuffreth him not to go vnarmed, but endueth him with his ſpirit. The Metaphore of putting on is deriued of garmentes, which are put vponupon the bodye. The ſpirite of the Lorde therfore is inwardlye hidden in the outwarde man, and ſo woorketh by him, as though he had put him on. And this is a phraſe of ſpeche very muche vſed in the ſcripture, and eſpecially in this booke. This did the Angel ſignify ſhoulde come to paſſe, when he ſaid vntounto Gideon: Go in this ſtrength, and deliuer the Iewes frō the Madianites. Now is it brought to paſſe that Gideon is endued wyth the ſpirite of ſtrength. For this was that power and myght of God, wherewith in the old time he deliuered the fathers. He blew a trumpet, and Abiezer followed him, which in dede was marueilous, foraſmuch as they were ſo angry for the ouerthrowing of Baal. But their myndes were by the inſpiration of God chaunged. For when they ſaw that the Idole did to him no hurt, they began to hauehave a good opinion of him. The whole tribe of Manaſſes followed him, alſo Zebulō, Aſer, Naphthali. Gideon alone was called, but yet he would not fight with hys enemies alone. For faith refuſeth not humane helpe which iuſtlye may be had: for godly men are not by fayth ſtyrred vp to tempt God.