Page 22 - December 2025 - Truth & Tidings

n the previous article in this series, very keen to define Gideon in just this way.
we noted the centrality of the Gideon On seven occasions, Gideon is referred
Inarrative to the book of Judges. The to as the son of Joash (6:11,29,30; 7:14;
story of Gideon is the hinge around which 8:13,29,32). These references all occur at
the book turns, a watershed moment in key moments in Gideon’s life, and even the
the decline of the nation. In a very gen- Midianite soldier refers to him in this way.
eral way, we noted too the importance of Judges routinely informs us of the fathers
family in Gideon’s story. In this article we of the Judges, but this is typically part of
will look in more detail at the family life an introductory formula; Gideon’s story is
of this distinguished judge. As we do so, unique in its sustained use of the phrase.
a solemn and sobering truth emerges: the So, on one level, it certainly seems to be
sphere of the family was both the arena the case that Gideon, right to the end of
where Gideon experienced his greatest his life, was defined by who his father was.
victory and the area where he exhibited Initially, at least, Gideon also defines
his most serious failure. His victory had himself in these terms: “My family is poor
important implications for himself; his in Manasseh,” he pleads, “and I am the
failure had serious results for his fam- least in my father’s house” (6:15). Com-
1
ily. And his victory and defeat alike had mentators are divided in their view of
massive and lasting consequences for the Gideon’s words: Do they betoken a com-
nation as a whole. mendable degree of humility, or is Gideon
Gideon’s great victory consisted in this: indulging in some false modesty with a
he was not defined by his family. On one
level, this might seem an implausible 1 Bible quotations in this article are from the
claim, for the narrator of Judges seems KJV.

374 TRUTH kTidings December 2025