Gideon's question isn't just about why Israel is suffering, but implicitly, how God's character can be reconciled with their present distress. He's not just asking for a reason, but for evidence that the God who performed mighty deeds in the past is still the same powerful and present God for them.
And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Gideon, hiding from oppressive Midianite raiders, encounters an angel who calls him a "mighty man of valor" and tells him God is with him. Gideon, overwhelmed by his people's suffering and the seeming absence of God's power, questions this declaration, pointing to their current misery as evidence that God has abandoned them. He wonders why God would deliver them from Egypt only to let them be crushed by Midian now.
Gideon isn't just complaining; he's living a nightmare. Why was Israel suffering so intensely, and what made the Midianites such a formidable threat?
Israel's suffering wasn't random; it was a direct consequence of their disobedience.
The Cycle of Sin and Punishment
Gideon's question, "why then has all this happened to us?" comes from a place of deep pain and confusion, witnessing the devastating effects of this ongoing oppression.
Gideon appeals to ancient stories of God's mighty acts. What's the significance of these 'miracles' and why does he bring them up now?
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Gideon's plea isn't just about his present misery; it's a desperate call to remember God's historical power and covenant faithfulness.
The Legacy of the Exodus
The scholarly context points out that this tradition of remembering God's acts was deeply ingrained, passed down from father to son, serving as the basis for understanding God's covenant with Israel.
An angel greets Gideon with "The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." Yet Gideon feels utterly abandoned. How can both be true?
The encounter between the angel and Gideon reveals a profound paradox: God's presence is not always perceived through comfortable circumstances.
Presence Amidst Oppression
As the scholarly context suggests, Gideon, "weak in faith," struggled to reconcile God's assurances with Israel's distress. The angel's words were a call to faith that transcended Gideon's immediate experience of oppression.
Understand the original words
niphla'ah · Hebrew Noun
Divine actions or miracles that display God's power, glory, and intervention on behalf of His people, often in the context of salvation or judgment.
natash · Hebrew Verb
The theological condition or human perception of being abandoned or rejected by God, often occurring in response to national sin, disobedience, or covenant unfaithfulness.
Gideon's desperate question, 'why then has all this happened to us?' cuts to the heart of Israel's suffering. It's a raw expression of faith wrestling with the harsh realities of oppression, questioning whether God's promises and past actions still hold true in their present despair.
c. 1190 BC
Israel Enters a Period of Idolatry
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites repeatedly "did evil in the sight of the LORD," forsaking God and worshipping Canaanite deities like Baal and Asherah. This pattern of disobedience set the stage for divine judgment.
c. 1150 BC
Midianite and Amalekite Oppression Begins
Due to their continued apostasy, the LORD allowed the Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other eastern peoples, to oppress Israel. These nomadic raiders would sweep into Israelite territory, destroying crops and livestock.
c. 1143 BC— this verse
Gideon Threshes Wheat in Secret
The oppression had become so severe that Gideon was forced to thresh wheat in a winepress, a secluded place, to hide it from the Midianites. This highlights the depth of Israel's suffering and fear.
c. 1143 BC
Angel Appears to Gideon
An angel of the LORD appears to Gideon, calling him a "mighty man of valor" and commissioning him to save Israel. This encounter marks the divine initiative to rescue his people.
c. 1143 BC
Gideon Demands a Sign
Though called by God, Gideon expresses doubt and asks for a sign to confirm the divine commission, demonstrating his struggle to reconcile God's power with Israel's dire circumstances.
c. 1143 BC
Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal
Following further signs, Gideon boldly tears down the local altar to Baal and erects an altar to the LORD, demonstrating his commitment to God and initiating the process of turning Israel back.
c. 1136 BC
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
With a greatly reduced army, Gideon, guided by the LORD, achieves a miraculous victory over the vast Midianite forces, bringing about a period of peace for Israel.
This passage echoes Gideon's lament, as God hears the cries of His people in distress and remembers His covenant, showing that even in their darkest hours, God is aware and concerned, not having truly forsaken them.
Psalm 44:1This psalm directly reflects Gideon's questioning, recounting how their fathers told them of God's mighty deeds in the past, implying a present lack of God's presence and intervention.
Isaiah 40:27Similar to Gideon's plea, this passage addresses the feeling of being forsaken and that God's way is hidden, while simultaneously affirming God's eternal power and attentiveness.
Romans 8:18This verse offers a theological parallel to Gideon's experience, suggesting that present sufferings are not to be compared with the future glory, and that God's presence is still at work, even when circumstances seem to indicate otherwise.
Hebrews 11:32This chapter celebrates the faith of past heroes, including those who through faith achieved victories like those Gideon's fathers recounted, underscoring the theme of God's power manifesting through those who believe, even in times of immense oppression.
jfbJudges 6:11-16: "And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites."
Jud 6:11-16. An Angel Sends Gideon to Deliver Them.11. there came an angel of the Lord—He appeared in the character and equipments of a traveller (Jud 6:21), who sat down in the shade to enjoy a little refreshment and repose. Entering into conversation on the engrossing topic…
bensonJudges 6:13: "And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."
Jdg 6:13 . If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? — All this trouble and distress from the incursions of the Midianites? All this loss, and grief, and dismay? Where be all hi…
Gideon's question isn't just about why Israel is suffering, but implicitly, how God's character can be reconciled with their present distress. He's not just asking for a reason, but for evidence that the God who performed mighty deeds in the past is still the same powerful and present God for them.
Gideon, hiding from oppressive Midianite raiders, encounters an angel who calls him a "mighty man of valor" and tells him God is with him. Gideon, overwhelmed by his people's suffering and the seeming absence of God's power, questions this declaration, pointing to their current misery as evidence that God has abandoned them. He wonders why God would deliver them from Egypt only to let them be crushed by Midian now.
Gideon, hiding from oppressive Midianite raiders, encounters an angel who calls him a "mighty man of valor" and tells him God is with him. Gideon, overwhelmed by his people's suffering and the seeming absence of God's power, questions this declaration, pointing to their current misery as evidence that God has abandoned them. He wonders why God would deliver them from Egypt only to let them be crushed by Midian now.
"And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the…" — Gideon's question isn't just about why Israel is suffering, but implicitly, how God's character can be reconciled with their present distress. He's not just asking for a reason, but for evidence…
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Last reviewed October 2026
