Judges 6:31-32
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Joash brilliantly turns the tables by using the very law against idolatry to defend Gideon. He declares that anyone who defends Baal should die, essentially daring them to choose between their idol and their own lives, while implicitly highlighting Baal's powerlessness to save himself.
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from Gideon's bold act of destroying his father's altar to Baal, the townspeople are furious and demand Gideon's death. Joash, Gideon's father, steps in to defend his son, challenging the crowd with fiery words about Baal's impotence and threatening anyone who continues to defend the idol. He implicitly sides with the God of Israel, believing Baal can neither defend himself nor his worshippers, making way for Gideon's future leadership.
Joash, the father of Gideon, faces a furious mob demanding his son's death. His response is shocking – a fierce defense of Gideon that sounds like a defense of God Himself! But is it pure faith, or a clever political move?
Joash's words to the crowd demanding Gideon's life are incredibly bold. He doesn't apologize for Gideon breaking down the altar of Baal. Instead, he turns the tables on the accusers.
A Tactical Turn
Joash challenges them: "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him?" He's essentially saying, 'Why are you so worried about defending this idol? If Baal is truly a god, he can defend himself!'
The Law as a Shield
Then, Joash invokes a severe penalty: "Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning." This sounds like he's taking Baal worship very seriously! But scholars suggest this was a brilliant maneuver. Idolatry was a capital offense under the Law of Moses. By declaring that anyone defending Baal deserved death, Joash was using the law against the idolaters themselves. He was saying, in essence, 'If you try to execute Gideon for destroying an altar, you are the ones defending an idol, and you deserve to die!'
A Father's Courage
This audacious move likely bought Gideon time and diffused the immediate rage of the mob. It shows a remarkable shift in Joash, possibly influenced by Gideon's encounter with God, or simply a father's desperate courage. He prioritizes his son's life and, in doing so, publicly challenges the impotence of Baal.
Ask a follow-up
Gideon destroyed his father's altar to Baal. The mob was furious. But Joash's reaction exposes a devastating truth: idols are powerless. What does this reveal about true strength?
Joash's challenge to Baal is a powerful, public demonstration of the idol's utter weakness. He essentially dares Baal to act.
A God Who Can't Defend Himself
Joash's words, 'If he is a god, let him contend for himself,' highlight the absurdity of worshipping something that cannot protect its own sacred places. This is a direct contrast to the God of Israel, who has a history of intervening powerfully to defend His honor and His people.
Shaking Superstitious Reverence
Often, when people see their idols failing to act – whether it's a broken statue or a god that doesn't answer prayers – their deep-seated belief can begin to crumble. The act of breaking the altar wasn't just a physical act; it was a symbolic one that exposed Baal's inability to respond. This event likely sowed seeds of doubt in the minds of the onlookers, making them question the very foundation of their worship.
The True God Responds
While Baal remained silent, the God of Israel was about to act through Gideon. This dramatic moment sets the stage for God to reveal His true power and deliver His people, showing that He alone is the living and true God.
Understand the original words
ba‘al · Hebrew Proper Noun
A Canaanite storm god, often associated with fertility and rain. In the Bible, worship of Baal is frequently condemned as idolatry that competes with the worship of the one true God, Yahweh.
mizbēaḥ · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew term for a place of sacrifice or offering to a deity. In the Old Testament, altars were built to worship Yahweh, though often improperly used for pagan gods like Baal, leading to prophetic calls for their destruction.
Joash's courageous defense of Gideon, turning the townspeople's fury back on the impotent idol Baal, highlights how public spectacle can shake faith in false gods and pave the way for true worship.
c. 11th century BC
Israelite Judges Rule
Following Joshua's death, Israel entered a period where tribal leaders, known as judges, governed. This era was marked by cycles of faithfulness, oppression, repentance, and deliverance.
c. 1050 BC
Midianite Oppression Begins
The Midianites, along with allies like the Amalekites and the 'people of the East,' began to severely oppress Israel, likely due to Israel's straying from God's commands.
c. 1050 BC
Gideon's Call
While hiding from the Midianites, Gideon encounters an angel of the LORD who calls him to deliver Israel. This divine encounter sets the stage for Gideon's ministry.
c. 1050 BC— this verse
Destruction of Baal's Altar
On the night of his divine commission, Gideon, fearing his family and town, secretly destroys the altar of Baal belonging to his father and cuts down the Asherah pole.
c. 1050 BC
Joash Defends Gideon
When the townspeople demand Gideon be put to death for destroying the altar, his father Joash boldly defends him, challenging the townspeople to defend Baal themselves.
c. 1050 BC
Gideon Gathers Army
Following his father's defense and the Lord's empowerment, Gideon rallies a large Israelite army to confront the Midianite forces.
c. 1050 BC
Midianite Defeat
Through a series of strategic maneuvers and divine intervention, Gideon and his greatly reduced army achieve a decisive victory over the vast Midianite forces.
This passage directly parallels Joash's challenge to Baal, as Elijah famously taunted the prophets of Baal to call on their god to send fire, highlighting the impotence of idols compared to the living God.
Isaiah 44:9-20These verses offer a powerful critique of idolatry, describing the foolishness of making an idol and expecting it to act like a god, much like Joash's sarcastic challenge to Baal to defend himself.
Job 13:8Joash's rhetorical question, 'Will you plead for Baal?' echoes the sentiment in Job, where one questions the fairness of defending a flawed cause or personifying the divine in a way that requires human defense.
Jeremiah 10:5This passage describes idols as immobile and unable to speak or act, reinforcing Joash's point that a god who cannot defend its own altar is no god at all.
Psalm 115:4-7Similar to Joash's challenge, this Psalm points out the lifelessness of idols, noting they have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see, and hands but do not act, emphasizing their inability to help themselves or their worshippers.
ellicottJudges 6:31: "And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar."
(31) Unto all that stood against him. —The meaning of these words is very uncertain. They may mean, “to all that stood around.” Will ye plead for Baal?—The pronoun ye is very emphatic, being twice expressed in the Hebrew. He that will…
bensonJudges 6:31: "And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar."
Jdg 6:31 . Joash said, Will ye plead for Baal? — Why are you so zealous in pleading for that Baal for whose worship you suffer such grievous calamities at this day? It is plain that Joash had been a worshipper of Baal, having gone with…
Joash brilliantly turns the tables by using the very law against idolatry to defend Gideon. He declares that anyone who defends Baal should die, essentially daring them to choose between their idol and their own lives, while implicitly highlighting Baal's powerlessness to save himself.
Fresh from Gideon's bold act of destroying his father's altar to Baal, the townspeople are furious and demand Gideon's death. Joash, Gideon's father, steps in to defend his son, challenging the crowd with fiery words about Baal's impotence and threatening anyone who continues to defend the idol. He implicitly sides with the God of Israel, believing Baal can neither defend himself nor his worshippers, making way for Gideon's future leadership.
Fresh from Gideon's bold act of destroying his father's altar to Baal, the townspeople are furious and demand Gideon's death. Joash, Gideon's father, steps in to defend his son, challenging the crowd with fiery words about Baal's impotence and threatening anyone who continues to defend the idol. He implicitly sides with the God of Israel, believing Baal can neither defend himself nor his worshippers, making way for Gideon's future leadership.
"But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”…" — Joash brilliantly turns the tables by using the very law against idolatry to defend Gideon. He declares that anyone who defends Baal should die, essentially daring them to choose between their idol…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
