Judges 6:32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּקְרָא
he called
H7121
וַיִּקְרָא
he called
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
1 of 13
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
בַיּוֹם
Therefore on that day
H3117
בַיּוֹם
Therefore on that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
3 of 13
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַה֖וּא
H1931
הַה֖וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
4 of 13
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יָ֤רֶב
plead
H7378
יָ֤רֶב
plead
Strong's:
H7378
Word #:
7 of 13
properly, to toss, i.e., grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e., hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
10 of 13
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
1 Samuel 12:11And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.2 Samuel 11:21Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.Judges 7:1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
Historical Context
Theophoric names incorporating deity names were common in the ancient Near East. That Gideon bore a name containing 'Baal' throughout his career shows either the people's continued syncretism or the name's transformation into a monument of Baal's defeat. Later biblical writers sometimes changed 'Baal' in names to 'Bosheth' (shame)—compare Jerubbaal/Jerubbesheth (2 Samuel 11:21), showing later sensitivity to any association with Baal.
Questions for Reflection
- How do names and designations in Scripture mark significant spiritual transformations?
- What does Gideon's new name teach about God's power to transform the fearful into bold witnesses?
- How does the retention of 'Baal' in Gideon's name ironically proclaim the false god's impotence?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Gideon receives a new name: Jerubbaal (yerubba'al, יְרֻבַּעַל), meaning 'let Baal plead' or 'Baal contends.' The name commemorates Joash's challenge: 'let him plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.' Like Abram becoming Abraham, Jacob becoming Israel, and Simon becoming Peter, this name change marks transformation. Jerubbaal declares Gideon's victory over Baal and mocks the impotent deity. That this name persists throughout the narrative (chapters 7-8) shows it became his primary designation. However, the name's retention contains tragic irony—Gideon later makes an ephod that becomes a snare (8:27), showing incomplete reformation.