Judges 6:39
And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Original Language Analysis
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים
unto God
H430
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים
unto God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
4 of 27
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
אַל
H408
אַל
Strong's:
H408
Word #:
5 of 27
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
יִ֤חַר
be hot
H2734
יִ֤חַר
be hot
Strong's:
H2734
Word #:
6 of 27
to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy
אַפְּךָ֙
Let not thine anger
H639
אַפְּךָ֙
Let not thine anger
Strong's:
H639
Word #:
7 of 27
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
וַֽאֲדַבְּרָ֖ה
against me and I will speak
H1696
וַֽאֲדַבְּרָ֖ה
against me and I will speak
Strong's:
H1696
Word #:
9 of 27
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
אַ֣ךְ
H389
הַפַּ֙עַם֙
I pray thee but this once
H6471
הַפַּ֙עַם֙
I pray thee but this once
Strong's:
H6471
Word #:
11 of 27
a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)
נָּא
H4994
נָּא
Strong's:
H4994
Word #:
13 of 27
'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
רַק
H7535
רַק
Strong's:
H7535
Word #:
14 of 27
properly, leanness, i.e., (figuratively) limitation; only adverbial, merely, or conjunctional, although
הַפַּ֙עַם֙
I pray thee but this once
H6471
הַפַּ֙עַם֙
I pray thee but this once
Strong's:
H6471
Word #:
15 of 27
a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)
יְהִי
H1961
יְהִי
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
17 of 27
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
נָ֨א
H4994
נָ֨א
Strong's:
H4994
Word #:
18 of 27
'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
לְבַדָּ֔הּ
H905
לְבַדָּ֔הּ
Strong's:
H905
Word #:
22 of 27
properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with preposit
וְעַל
H5921
וְעַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
23 of 27
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
24 of 27
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָאָ֖רֶץ
and upon all the ground
H776
הָאָ֖רֶץ
and upon all the ground
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
25 of 27
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Cross References
Genesis 18:32And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.Isaiah 50:2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
Historical Context
Gideon's concern about divine anger reflects the understanding that testing God was dangerous—Moses struck the rock twice (Numbers 20:11-12), and Israel tested God repeatedly in the wilderness (Psalm 78:18, 41, 56), provoking judgment. The phrase 'prove... with the fleece' uses nasah (נָסָה, 'test/try'), the same verb used for Israel testing God in the wilderness (Exodus 17:2). Gideon walks the line between legitimate seeking of assurance and presumptuous demand for proof.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Gideon's apologetic tone reveal his awareness of the potential sin in demanding signs?
- What distinguishes between testing God (sinful) and requesting confirmation (acceptable)?
- How should Christians respond when wrestling with doubt despite clear divine revelation and previous confirmations?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Emboldened yet still uncertain, Gideon requests a second sign with reversed conditions: 'Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.' His apologetic tone—'Let not thine anger be hot' and repeated 'but this once'—shows awareness that multiple sign-requests risk presumptuous testing of God. Yet he cannot shake his uncertainty. The request to reverse the miracle addresses the concern that the first sign might have natural explanation (fleece naturally absorbs moisture). A dry fleece surrounded by wet ground would be even more obviously miraculous.