Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (594) (April 1992): 146-61

= &nb= sp; Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (594) (April 1992): 146-61

= &nb= sp; digitally prepared for use at Gordon College]=

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal

= &nb= sp; Point of Judges

= &nb= sp; = J. Paul Tanner

= &nb= sp; Training Coordinator for Biblical Studies

= &nb= sp; East Asia School of The= ology, Singapore=

&= nbsp; Although the grandeur of Hebrew poetry has long been recog-

nized, far less attention has been paid to the literary composition of =

Hebrew narrative. However, the last three decades have seen a

dramatic shift of attention to structural and stylistic aspects of He-

brew narrative. Studies have demonstrated that ancient Hebrew =

narratives were composed with care, using sophisticated literary

techniques.¹ One interesting facet of this narrative artistry is the <= /p>

imposition of structure by means of textual patterning, that is, the

control of words and motifs so as to form symmetrically arranged pat-

terns in the text.²

This article introduces the rhetoric= al study of structure in He-

brew narrative, which may be termed "textual patterning." This is

then applied to the Book of Judges and in particular to the Gideon

narrative of Judges 6-8, since this unit serves as the pivot point for

the book. The article also seeks to illustrate the significance of this

research by suggesting how textual patterning in the Gideon narra-=

tive contributes to the theological message of the book.

¹ A few of = the more notable treatments of narrative artistry are Robert Alter, The

Art of Bib= lical Narrative (New York: Basic Books, 1981); Shimon Bar-Efrat, Narra-

tive Art i= n the Bible, JSOT Supplement Series 70 (Sheffield: Almond, 1989); Adele

Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative (Sheffield: Almond, 1983);

Robert Scholes and Robert KeIlogg, The Nat= ure of Narrative (New York: Oxford,

1966); and Meir Sternberg, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature

and the Dr= ama of Reading (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1985).

² For a more thorough discussion of this topic, see this writer's "Textual Patterni= ng

in Biblical Hebrew Narrative: A, Case Study in Judges 6-8" (PhD diss., University of

Texas at Austin, 1990), her= eafter referred to as "Textual Patterning."

= ;

146

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 147

Textual Patterning in Hebrew Narrative

Against the background of the tradit= ional critical approaches to

the Hebrew Scriptures, the past three decades have witnessed the

emergence of a need for a synchronic approach to the text. Attention

to the canonical form of the text has led to the discovery of repeated

instances in which the Hebrew text has been structurally shaped and

patterned. The results of such approaches have provided some bal-

ance to the extremes of historical critical methods and have also

demonstrated that structural patterning of the text can be an impor-

tant clue to the theological emphasis of the narrative.

In the synchronic approach to Hebrew narrative some scholars

have employed the method known as "structuralism."³ This ap= -

proach, which arose out of the field of secular literary criticism,

must be distinguished from the approach taken here, because "struc-

turalism" does not focus on the formal surface aspects that define the

structure of the text. Furthermore it does not have as its goal the in-

terpretation of the text, thereby limiting its usefulness for most bib-

lical scholars. Overall, structuralism suffers from the vanity of try-=

ing to impose an abstract Western literary method on ancient texts <= /span>

rather than deriving a method inductively.

The discipline of rhetorical critici= sm, on the other hand, is con-

cerned with observing the formal surface structure of narrative texts. =

Although rhetorical criticism is not limited to this concern, it at

least includes it. As envisioned by James Muilenburg, the pioneering <= /span>

scholar of this discipline, rhetorical criticism is concerned with a

multitude of stylistic matters and particularly with the unique fea-

tures of a given narrative composition (failure to attend to unique

features being a deficiency that Muilenburg saw in "form criticism").^=
4

Rhetorical criticism points out a host of literary features, including

³ A bibliog= raphy relevant for work in structuralism can be found in David Jobling,

The Sense = of Biblical Narrative: Structural Analyses in the Hebrew Bible I, 2d ed.= ,

JSOT Supplement Series 7 (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1986), 98-101. For a good treat= ment

of structuralism, see J. Culler, Struc= turalist Poetics (Ithaca, NY: Cornell <= st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">University

Press, 1975). For an analysis and critique of structuralism and its application to= the

Bible, see D. C. Greenwood, Structuralism and the Biblical Text (Berlin: Mouton,

1985); T. J. Keegen, Interpreting the Bibl= e: A Popular Introduction to Biblical

Hermeneuti= cs (New York: Paulist, 1985), 40-72; and J. Barton, Reading the Old Testa-

ment: Meth= od in Biblical Study (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1984), 104-39, 185-94.

For helpful comments from an evangelical perspective, see Carl E. Armerding, The

Old Testam= ent and Criticism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983) and Tremper Longman

III, Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987).

⁴ James Muilenburg, "Form Criticism and Beyond," Journal of Biblical Literature 88

(March 1969): 1-18. Allen P. Ross has written a helpful introduction from an evang= eli-

cal perspective: "Literary Analysis of the Text," Exegesis and Exposition I (Fall

1986): 5-17.

148 = B= ibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

repetition of words (and phrases and motifs), inclusios, chiasms, lit-

erary structure, strategic placement of particles, the use of paral-

lelism, wordplays, and paronomasia. Hence rhetorical criticism is a

synchronic approach concerned with matters of style, structure, and =

texture. "Textual patterning" is a term used here to refer to the pat-

terned structural composition of the biblical text.

A number of common types of textual patterns have been ob-

served by scholars: alternation, ring composition, inclusio, chiasmus, =

parallel, introversion, and concentric.⁵ Such patterns have several <= /o:p>

values. First, they are helpful in confirming the bounds of a literary <= /span>

unit. Second, the introversion and concentric patterns can highlight <= /span>

important points of the literary unit or mark the turning point in the

plot development. Not only can inclusios give emphasis by way of

repetition, but their use to frame or bound a unit can be particularly

helpful in recognizing textual patterns within the unit.

Textual patterning may be simple or complex. For instance, the

paralleling elements may simply be verbal repetitions (of a word or <= /p>

a phrase), but often the paralleling elements can be ascertained only

by abstracting the plot development.6 Yet even the latter may have =

word or phrase repetitions as well. In addition to this variation of =

the way in which parallels are formed, complex and multiple struc-

tures may also be present. This may include asymmetrical patterns

where there is a disruption of the symmetry for the purpose of caus-

ing something to stand out for emphasis.

Although cases of textual patterning= are well attested in He-

brew Scripture, the challenge is to recognize and determine their

presence in the text.⁷ The primary key may lie in the way in which <= /o:p>

"bounds" are established for textual patterns.⁸ Fundamental to this =

is an understanding of the literary unit known as an "episode."⁹

⁵ See furth= er, Tanner, "Textual Patterning," 74-85. Also see H. Van Dyke Parunak, <= /o:p>

"Oral Typesetting: Some Uses of Biblical Structure," Biblica 62 (1981): 153-68.

&nb= sp; ^{6
This has been demonstrated, for example, by John H. Stek, "The Bee and=
the}

Mountain Goat: A Literary Reading of Judges 4," in A Tribute to Gleason Archer, ed.

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. and Ronald F. Youngblood (Chicago: Moody, 1986), 53-86.=

⁷ Several articles have been written on this topic, but a few of the more helpful

works are J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art = in Genesis: Specimens of Structural and

Stylistic Analysis (Assen-Amsterdam: Van Gorcum, 1975); Jared J. Jackson and Martin

Kessler, eds., Rhetorical Criticism: Essays = in Honor of James Muilenburg, Pittsburgh

Theological Monograph Series 1 (Pittsburgh: Pickwick, 1974); and Allen P. Ross, "T= he

Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9," Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (1981): 119-3= 8.

⁸ See Tanne= r, "Textual Patterning," 91-116, for an extensive technical discussi= on and

substantiation of episode bounding and transition techniques.

⁹ An episod= e is an incident within the overall story that is complete in itself. An

episode may be composed of one or more paragraphs and may join with other episodes =

to form a larger section. See J. Cheryl Exum, "Aspects of Symmetry and Balance in the

Samson Saga," Journal for the Study o= f the Old Testament 19 (1981): 12.

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 149

Episodes can usually be identified by the transitional techniques =

used between them. These transitional techniques may include tem-

poral clauses (especially with yhyv), circumstantial clauses, hnh

clauses, repetition (of key words, phrases, or motifs), or shift of scene

(often accompanied by transition verbs of motion such as xb, jlh, hlf),

dry, and xcy, or even = a verb of apprehension such as hxr). Under-

standably the presence of such devices in the text does not automati-

cally signal a verse as being episode initial or episode terminal; the

point is simply that transitions from one episode to another often oc-=

cur in conjunction with these factors. Being aware of their presence in

the text helps the interpreter develop a sensitivity to the transition

from one episode to another, and the ability to recognize these

episodes is fundamental to discerning textual patterns.

Previous studies highlighting textual patterns have born wit-

ness to the fact that there are often sh= ared traits between different

textual patterns (i.e., patterns that are found in different narra-

tives). Hence there are universals, and this reality makes possible

the formulation of a method for searching them out. The following

steps are suggested for such a procedure.

1. Recognize the overall structural features of the book or major

unit in which a narrative resides.

2. Determine episode boundaries. Transition techniques (possi-

ble clues to episode bounds) must be identified and evaluated. Par-<= /span>

ticularly important is the presence of inclusio or framing.

3. Look for textual patterning within an individual episode =

(the microlevel). Of particular importance here is the paralleling

of terms, phrases, or motifs.

4. Look for parallels and connection= s between episodes to see if

there is a pattern at the macrolevel.

5. Examine the patterns for the significance. Whether textual

patterning is present at the microlevel or macrolevel, careful evalu-

ation must be made of the findings to understand how and why pat-

terns are being utilized by the author.

The Overall Structure of the Book of Judges=

The Book of Judges may be viewed as having a two-part intro-

duction (1:1-2:5 and 2:6-3:6) and a two-part epilogue (17:1-18:31 and

19:1-21:25). Parallel ideas and motifs link the first introduction

(1:1-2:5) with the second epilogue (19:1-21:25), and in like manner=

the second introduction (2:6-3:6) with the first epilogue (17:1-18:31).

The main body of the book (= 3:7--16:31) evidences structura= l ar-

rangement by recurring words and phrases that have been labelled

stereotyped formulae. Most notable of these is the phrase, "And the

sons of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the LORD," which heads up

150 Bibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

nearly every narrative block within the main body. These stereo-=

typed formulae suggest that a narrator skillfully wove the accounts

together for the purpose of making a theological point.

Within the main body of the book, se= ven major narrative blocks

can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between =

these narratives so that the entire book reflects a carefully worked <= /span>

symmetrical pattern.¹⁰ Furthermore this pattern has as its focal =

point the Gideon narrative in 6:1-8:32.¹¹

A&nb= sp; Introduction, Part 1 (1:1-2:5)

B = Introduction, Part 11 (2:6-3:6)

C Othniel Narrative (3:7-11)

D Ehud Nar= rative (3:12-31)

E Deborah-= Barak Narrative (4:1-5:31)

F Gideon N= arrative (6:1-8:32)

E’ Abimelech Narrative (8:33-10:5)

D' Jephthah Narrative (10:6-12:15)

C’ S= amson Narrative (13:1-16:31)

B' = Epilogue, Part 1(17:1-18:31)

A' &= nbsp; Epilogue, Part 11(19:1-21:25)

This arrangement suggests that the Gideon narrative has a unique

contribution to make to the theological development of the book. As

the nation went from one cycle of discipline to the next, there was a

continual deterioration. Also there was a shift in the "quality" of

the judges themselves as the book advances. The Gideon narrative

seems to mark a notable turning point.

The Structure of the Gideon Narrative=

An examination of the Gideon narrati= ve reveals 20 episodes.

They yield no significant evidence of inner-episodal textual pattern-=

ing, but there is ample evidence of inter-episodal textual patterning,

that is, patterning based on relationships between the episodes.¹²

The episodes tend to group together in clusters in which two or three

¹⁰ Credit go= es to D. W. Gooding, "The Composition of the Book of Judges," Eretz Is-

rael 16 (1982): 70-79, for the identification of this overall scheme (though this writer

disagrees with the structure Gooding suggests for the Gideon narrative). For elabora-=

tion of the paralleling themes and motifs, see Barry G. Webb, The Book of Judges: An

Integrated= Reading= , JSOT Supplement Series 46 (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1987).

¹¹ For a dif= ferent concept of the structure of Judges, see Dale Sumner DeWitt, "The =

Jephthah Traditions: A Rhetorical and Literary Study in the Deuteronomistic His-

tory" (PhD diss., Andrews University, 1987). Dewitt locates the center of the boo= k

with the Jephthah narrative, partly by reason of the lists of "minor judges" that

frame the Jephthah narrative. For a discussion and refutation of this position, s= ee

this writer's "Textual Patterning," 222-28.

¹²See Tanner, "Textual Patterning," 147-99, for a detailed analysis of Judges 6= -8.

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 151

episodes share a bonding between them on the basis of a common mo-=

tif, a repeated phrase, an inclusio, or some other grammatical or syn-

tactical feature that tends to set them off from other episodes. This

technique of episode bonding is found throughout the narrative, re-=

sulting in eight episode clusters. Furthermore, when these clusters

are examined from an even broader perspective, a pairing of episode =

clusters can be discerned. The result is that for the four episodes in

6:11-32, an alternation pattern of the type A B A' B' is found. For the <= /span>

six episodes in 6:33-7:18, a concentric pattern of the type A B C C’ B'

A' is found. For the six episodes in 7:19-8:21, an alternation pattern

of the type A B C A' B' C' is noted.

The result is an overall division of= the Gideon narrative into five

primary sections. Furthermore, though these sections are derived on

the basis of textual patterning, they accord perfectly with the con-=

tents of the narrative. The first section (6:1-10) provides the intro-=

duction and setting before Gideon's debut, the second section (6:11-32)

gives the commissioning of Gideon as deliverer of Israel, the third =

section (6:33-7:18) pres= ents the preparation for the battle, the fourth

section (7:19-8:21) reco= unts the defeat of the Midianite army, and

the fifth section (8:22-32) records the conclusion to Gideon's life after

the victory over Midian. Yet thematic parallels exist between the

first and fifth sections and between the second and fourth sections, <= /span>

thus giving the whole narrative a symmetrical pattern:¹³

A = 6:1-10

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; B = 6:11-32<= /p>

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; C = 6:33-7:18

&= nbsp; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; B' = 7:19-8:21

A' 8:22-32

Sections A and A' have thematic connections with one another, and =

both have a simple A B pattern. Sections B and B' have thematic

connections, and both have an alternation pattern. The remaining

section C has a unique structure of its own with a concentric arrange-

ment. Thus the overall structural pattern for the Gideon narrative

highlights the middle section, 6:33-7:= 18.

Implications of the Structural Pattern of Judges=

THE ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE OF SYMMETRY

Examining the Book of Judges through= the structural approach of

textual patterning leads to two observations. The first is that the

book as a whole is structured in a symmetrical inversion pattern with=

¹³ For documentation, see Tanner, "Textual Patterning," 188-99.

152 Bibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

its focal point being the Gideon narrative in chapters 6-8. The sec-=

ond is that the Gideon narrative itself is also structured in a symmet-

rical inversion pattern, with its focal point being 6:33-7:18. Signifi-

cantly the same type of structuring technique that characterizes the

book as a whole characterizes the Gideon narrative itself. Associa-

tions between sections based on thematic parallels constitute the or-<= /span>

ganizing principle for the symmetrical arrangements. The patterns =

underlying these two observations can be superimposed as follows:

A Introduction, Part I

B Introduc= tion, Part II

C Othniel<= o:p>

D Ehud

E Deborah-= Barak

a Introduc= tion to Gideon

b Call to Deliver

F &= nbsp; Gideon c. Gideon's Pers= onal

Struggle to Believe

God's Prom= ise

b' Effecti= ng of Deliverance

a' Conclus= ion to Gideon

E' Abimele= ch

D' Jephtha= h

C Samson

B' Epilogu= e, Part I

A' Epilogue, Part II

GIDEON AS THE TURNING POINT IN JUDGES

In relation to the book as a whole, Gideon receives attention as

the focal point because he represents a significant shift in the

"quality" of the judges that served Israel. A progressive deteriora-

tion begins with Othniel and continues through Samson.¹⁴ Othniel

was almost an idealized judge, and Samson was a debauched self-

centered individual. God used each judge, whether strong or weak, to

accomplish His sovereign will and effect deliverance for the theo-

cratic nation.¹⁵ Gideon, on the other hand, stands somewhere be-

¹⁴ Jobling h= as also noticed that judgeship initially appears positive but then becomes

more and more negative. "The section begins with the judge-system in place = and work-

ing (Othniel). Then, and with increasing pervasiveness, problems with the system are

permitted to appear; rule by the judges fails to conform to expectations" (The Sense of

Biblical Narrative: Structural Analyses in the Hebrew Bible II, 60). Jobling then

lists four evidences of this negative trend. J. Cheryl Exum also observes that all the

judges except Othniel make for unlikely heroes and that some of these leaders exhi= bit

highly questionable behavior ("The Centre Cannot Hold: Thematic and Textual I= n-

stabilities in Judges," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 52 [July 1990]: 412). Cf. Webb, The

Book of the Judges: An Integrated Reading<= /st1:City>, 157-58, = 170-71.

¹⁵ Abimelech= is obviously an exception in that he did not deliver the Israelites from =

a foreign power. Yet as a leader, he demonstrates the dangers of dynastic kingship

when power is placed in the hands of an ungodly individual.

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 153

tween these two extremes and represents the primary turning point

from the "better" judges to the "weaker" ones.¹⁶<= o:p>

The Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah-Barak narratives. Othniel,<= /p>

the first judge, delivered Israel from Cushan-rishathaim of

Mesopotamia. This is recorded in a concise, straightforward manner

(3:7-11). The text neither mentions nor hints at flaws in his charac-

ter, and the passage seems to illustrate perfectly the divine princi-=

ple for dealing with the theocratic nation that had been delineated =

in the second introduction in = 2:11-23. Furthermore Othniel came on

the scene already a hero figure, because he had been previously in-<= /span>

troduced in 1:11-15 as a relative of the valiant Caleb who captured

Debir (also known as Kiriath-sepher). Of possible significance is

the fact that Othniel arose from the tribe of Judah. The second =

judge, Ehud, was left-handed and a man of the tribe of Benjamin and

is seen in a positive light. Barak was a valiant warrior and led Is-

rael to a mighty triumph over the forces of Jabin, king of Canaan, but

his record is slightly tainted by his hesitation to follow the divine

orders given through Deborah, a mistake for which he was deprived

of the honor of capturing the enemy commander in battle (4:8-9).

The Gideon Narrative. With Gideon, the accounts of the judges

become more complex. Whereas the Othniel account is very brief, =

the next two (Ehud and Deborah-Barak) are progressively longer. In <= /span>

comparison, the Gideon narrative is significantly longer, and this

remains the governing principle for the rest of Judges.¹⁷ The Gideo= n

narrative also reflects greater complexity in that there is more elab-

oration on him as a person and more negative notes in the account. At

the same time, the Gideon narrative marks a shift in the deteriorat-=

ing condition of the nation in its relationship to Yahweh, in that He

dealt more firmly with the nation. Though the familiar refrain =

"the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" is

given in 6:1, the Gideon narrative is not simply one more cycle of

apostasy on par with the previous ones. The nation's apostasy had =

reached a lower point, and this is underscored by the additional fact

that the Lord sent an unnamed prophet to rebuke them (6:7-10) before<= /span>

¹⁶ Exum has = made a similar observation: "Although no neatly progressive pattern

emerges, a turning-point occurs with Gideon. Gideon and the important figures after =

him reveal disturbing weaknesses, if not serious faults" ("The Centre Cannot Hold:

Thematic and Textual Instabilities in Judges," 412). In chapter 7 of his dissertation, L.

G. Stone has demonstrated how "compared with the Othniel account, the jud= ges fol-

lowing him form a clear three-step decline from triumphant judges (3:12-5:31) through

a transitional figure, Gideon (6:1-8:28), to the 'tragic' judges (10:6-16:31)" (see ab-

stract of "From Tribal Confederation to Monarchic State: The Editorial Perspective of

the Book of Judges" [PhD diss., Yale University, 1988]).=

¹⁷ The Abime= lech account is somewhat of an exception to this trend, though the prin-

ciple is still true if it is recognized that Abimelech is an extension in one sen= se of the

Gideon narrative.

154 = B= ibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

Gideon was raised up as a "judge" to handle the Midianite crisis.

This apostasy is also singled out by= the shift in character of the

one God used as a deliverer. Gideon= was not the noble example Oth-

niel had been. Certainly Gideon was good news for Israel in that he =

effected the needed deliverance from Midian (and did act valiantly

and nobly at several points in the story), but he struggled to believe

God and was flawed in character, as seen in the following incidents.=

He cynically expressed disappointment with God's present treat-

ment of the nation (6:13).

He was reluctant to ac= cept God's call to him to be a deliverer (6:15).

He needed a confining = sign that the call was really from God (6:17).

Though he obeyed the L= ord by tearing down the Baal altar, he did it

by night because he feared the men of his village (6:27).

The fleece incident re= veals his lack of faith, because it was nothing

more than an attempt to gain confirmation for what he already knew to

be God's will (6:36-37).

He took extreme measur= es of veneance against his fellow Is-

raelites at Succoth and Penuel (8:16-17).¹⁸=

His making of the ephod resulted in the nation "playing the harlot"

after it, that is, using it in an idolatrous way (8:27).

Though he declined the kingship, his actions show that he really

coveted this honor for himself (8:23-31).¹⁹=

He sought to establish= a harem for himself as well as to take a She-

chemite concubine (8:30-31).

To all this could be added that his father was a commu= nity leader in

the Baal cult (6:25-27). Clearly a shadow of suspicion hangs over

Gideon, and the judges who followed him were unquestio= nably worse.

The Abimelech narrative. The Abimelech narrative obviously

differs from the others in = the series, and its purpose is not to portray

him as a "judge" but rather to "play through" a crucial iss= ue raised

in the Gideon narrative. The Gideon narrative introduced the issue<= /span>

of dynastic kingship (8:22-23),²⁰ and the Abimelech narrative shows

¹⁸ Webb, poi= nting out the internal fighting that took place under Gideon and Abim-=

elech, wrote, "Gideon is the first judge to turn the sword against his compatriots" (The <= /i>

Book of the Judges: An Integrated Reading<= /st1:City>, 158). The problem of internal strife, first

observed with Gideon, persisted with Abimelech, Jephthah, and Samson. Though not

necessarily placed chronologically, the epilogue to Judges reveals the intensity and

magnitude of the internal problem.

¹⁹ Block sta= tes, "In spite of his pious comment, 'I will not rule over you' (8:23), all of

these actions suggest the opposite. He behaves like an oriental king, a status memori-

alized in the name of his son, Abimelech ('my father is king')" (Daniel I. Bl= ock, "The

Period of the Judges: Religious Disintegration under Tribal Rule," in Israel's Apostasy

and Restor= ation, ed. Avra= ham Gileadi [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988], 50). For further

discussion on the monarchy element, see Jobling, The Sense of Biblical Narrative:

Structural Analyses in the Hebrew Bible II, 58-87; Arthur E. Cundall, Judges: An In-
troduction= and Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1968), 123-24; and

Dale DeWitt, "The Jephthah Traditions," 285-309.

²⁰ The monar= chy theme is another valuable contribution the Gideon narrative makes

to the overall theology of Deuteronomy through 1 Samuel. The Book of judges not only

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges     &nbs= p;         &= nbsp;   155

the potential for evil that such a political arrangement could have =

in the hands of an incompetent and decadent individual.²¹

The Jephthah narrative. With Jephthah the narration seems

to return to the topic of the judge proper, but again the characteriza-

tion of him as a worthy judge is questionable. Block states,
The narrator's characterization of Jephthah as a "valiant warrior"

(gibbor hayil, 11:1) hardly commends= him spiritually for the role of sav-

ior in Israel. Indeed, he was a most unlikely candidate for leadership,

being the ostracized son of a harlot= and a leader of a band of brigands

in the mountains of Gilead (11:1-3). Although his bargaining with the

Ammonites reflects political astuten= ess and an awareness of YHWH's

actions in Israel's history (11:12-28), his negotiation= s with the leaders of

<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Gilead are motiv= ated by opportunistic ambition (11:9-11). His rash vow,

preceding his battle with the Ammoni= tes, sounds like the type of bar-

gain foreigners would make with their gods (11:30-31).= ²²

Besides Jephthah's character being suspect, once again the dete-

rioration of the nation is underscored by a divine rebuke as a preface

to Jephthah's introduction in the narrative (10:10-16). This is paral-

lel to the Gideon account, which indicates that the nation's apostasy

is not simply cyclical. However, the situation had worsened beyond =

that of the Gideon narrative, because now the Lord went a step fur-

ther: "You have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will

deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have cho-

sen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress" (10:13-14).

In light of the values of Torah, Jephthah was not a fitting judge

for the nation, and yet that seems to be just the point. With each <= /span>

round of apostasy, the nation seemed to plunge deeper, God's response<= /span>

fills the gap between the Moses-Joshua era and the implementation of the monarchy=

in 1 Samuel 8-12, but Judges is already anticipating, as it were, the coming of the

monarchy. Jobling states, "Kingship in Israel makes its definitive appearance in I

Sam. 8.... But, in relation to that section, Judg. 6-9 cannot fail to hold particular in-

terest. Standing as part of the account of the judge-period, which account, I have = ar-

gued, provides the theological context for the rise of monarchy, the Gideon-Abim-=

elech chapters record a previous time when Israel took up its deuteronom= ic option to

seek a king. We have here, then, a proleptic treatment of the theme of monarchy"

(The Sense of Biblical Narrative: Struc= tural Analyses in the Hebrew Bible II, 66-67).

"If the whole narrative of the judge-period prepares us generally to read 1 Sam. 8-12,

Judg. 6-9 does so much more specifically. The rise of monarchy has happened befor= e!

Judg. 6-9 adjusts our reading of I Sam. 8-12, as it were, in advance. Being under= no con-

straint to portray kingship positiveIy, it can explore thoroughly its dubious aspects"

(ibid., 85). If Judges as a whole prepares the reader for the monarchy development = in

1 SamueI, it is most interesting that the issue would be raised precisely in = the Gideon

narrative, which, as seen in the structure of the book, is the central portion.

²¹ Jobling h= as noted this as well in Judges 6-9: "The section treats many aspects of <= /o:p>

monarchy, with particular stress on its potential evils. It assumes kingship to be

hereditary, and says or implies much about heredity, its 'rules' and its problems.

Through what is said both about Gideon and about Abimelech, the characteristic

misdeeds of kings are rehearsed" (ibid., 84).

²² Block, 'T= he Period of the Judges: Religious Disintegration under Tribal Rule," 50.=

156                 =             B= ibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

was more serious, and the "judge" for the nation was less and less

qualified for the role. There is a correspondence between the nation's

unfaithfulness to Yahweh and His Torah, and the "quality" of the

judge who was raised up to deliver them.

The Samson narrative. The judgeship of Samson seems to epito-

mize this trend. He married a Philistine woman, had an affair with

a Philistine harlot, and loved another Philistine woman, Delilah. =

All this was in contrast to his Nazirite calling. Though he did in-<= /span>

flict casualties on the Philistines, he did not deliver the nation from

the foreign power, and in fact the theocratic nation never followed =

him into battle. The more godly Samuel (through intercessory =

prayer and leading the nation through repentance) would have the

privilege of seeing the Philistines subdued at the battle of Mizpah

(1 Sam. 7). Commenting on Samson's qualification as judge, Block re-

marks, "Like most of the other judges, Samson was an unlikely can-=

didate for leadership in Is= rael. The narrator seems to stress that

what accomplishments were achieved were all to YHWH's credit, =

produced in spite of, rather than because of, the man."²³=

Webb contends that Judges 3:7-16:31 represents one complex nar-

rative movement with a climactic realization of major themes in the

Samson narrative. "These themes are brought to a unique focus in the

story of Samson whose personal history recapitulates that of Israel

as a whole in the judges era, especially in his nazir (separate) sta-

tus, his going after foreign women, and his calling upon Yahweh."²⁴

Thus the judgeship narratives in the main body of the book re-

flect a definite deterioration, and the Gideon narrative functions as =

the turning point of the series. Two facts highlight this observation:

(a) a structured arrangement of the text (a symmetrical inversion

pattern) with Gideon as the focal point, and (b) the fact that with

Gideon the narratives become substantially longer and more complex

in comparison with the first three judge narratives.

THE FOCAL POINT OF THE GIDEON NARRATIVE

All the judges except Abimelech countered a foreign threat, but

only in the case of Gideon is there an extensive personal interaction

between the judge and the Lord. This observation suggests that the

narrative provides more than simply a victory account for future gen-

erations of Israel's defeat of Midian. While it is true that Samson

offered up a few quick prayers, only in the case of Gideon is there a

focus on the judge's faith and his coming to grips with the Lord's call

on his life. "No character in the book receives more divine assurance

than Gideon and no one displays more doubt. Gideon is, signifi-

²³ Ibid., 51= .

²⁴ Webb. The Book of the Judges: An Integrated = Reading, 179.=

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges     &nbs= p; 157

cantly, the only judge to whom God speaks directly, though this <= /p>
privilege does not allay his faintheartedness."²⁵
The significance of this observation= is even reflected in the

structure of the Gideon narrative. The matter of Gideon being the <= /p>
judge (i.e., deliverer) from the Midianites is not the focal element of

the narrative. Certainly he was used for that purpose, but the focus

of the narrative comes in 6:33= -7:18, in which the theme of deliver-

ance is momentarily suspended to allow for another development.

The primary matter in the Gideon narrative is not the deliverance

itself, but rather something more personal, namely, Gideon's struggle

to believe God's promise.

GIDEON'S STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE GOD'S PROMISE

Judges 6:33-7:18 is arranged in the following concentric pa= ttern:

A         = The Spirit-endowed Gideon mobilized= four tribes against the Midian-

&nb= sp;          ites, though lacking confidence in Go= d's promise (6:33-35= ).

B &n= bsp;       Gideon sought a sign from God with the fleece to confirm the

promise that the Lord would give Midian into= his hand (6:36-40).<= o:p>

C         With the fearful Israelites having departed, God directed

Gideon to go down to the water for t= he further reduction of

his force (7:1-8).=

C         With fear still in Gideon himself, God directed Gideon to go

down to the enemy camp to overhear the e= nemy (7:9-11).

B' &= nbsp;       God provided a sign to Gideon with = the dream of the Midianite to

confirm the promise that the = Lord would give Midian into his hand

(7:12-14).=

A'        The worshiping Gideon mobilized his= force of 300 for a surprise attack

against the Midianites, fully confident in God's promise (= 7:15-18).

The reduction of Gideon's army is a familiar story often told from the

perspective of emphasizing God's ability to deliver whether by

many or by few. While this is true, such an explanation falls short <= /span>

of doing justice in this context. The context is dealing with a struggle =

within Gideon himself.

The first episode of this section (<= st1:time Minute=3D"33" Hour=3D"18" w:st=3D"on">6:33-35) seems to open on = a

valiant note, for in these verses the Spirit of God is said to "clothe" <= o:p>

(wbl) Gideon a= nd use him for rallying the Israelite tribes for battle.

Nevertheless caution must be taken not to read too much into this

event. Block is on target in his explanation:

Whereas in the case of Gideon the Sp= irit is said to have "clothed" . . .

the man (6:34), this should not be interpreted too differentl= y from every

other instance in which the Spirit is described as having come/rushed

upon its object. This expression, reminiscent of Num. 24:3 (in which

case Balaam, the Mesopotamian prophe= t, experiences the same phe-

nomenon), does not presuppose any particular level of spirituality on

the part of the recipient. To the contrary, this divine intrusion into hu-

²⁵ Exum, &qu= ot;The Centre Cannot Hold: Thematic and Textual Instabilities in Judges," 416.

158                 =             B= ibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

man experience seems to graphically describe YHWH's arresting of

men ill-disposed toward resolving Israel's problems and his equipping

of them for the saving task.^26<=
/sup>

In this case the ministry of the Spirit reflects God's sovereign will to set things

in motion for the deliverance He planned, not Gideon's condition of faith or <= o:p>

spirituality. Certainly Gideon was acting in obedience when he blew the shofar

and summoned the Israelite tribes to battle, but the following episode (6:36-40)

with his request about the fleece clearly reveals his shortcomings.

Rather than being a paradigm for the discernment of God's will,

Gideon's request for a fleece is an expression of doubt and lack of

faith: "Then Gideon said to God, 'If Thou wilt deliver Israel through me, as

Thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor&quo= t;

(6:36-37). By his own admis= sion Gideon already knew God's will and promise,

for this had been carefully articulated to him by the Angel of the Lord (6:14-16); the problem was = his own ability to take God at His word.

God's promise and Gideon's problem of faith are crucial matters

in tension within 6:33-7:18, an observation confirmed even by the

structural components. For instance five of the six episodes pick up

the promise theme in the leitmotif of the Lord giving (Ntn) Midian <= o:p>

into the hand of Israel (6:36; 7:2, 7, 9= , 14-15). In addition to this, the

repetition of "fear" (xry) in the two innermost episodes of t= he struc-

ture (7:3, 10) singles this out for attention.²⁷ The reduction of

Gideon's force on the basis of "fear" has its backdrop in Deuteronomy

20:8: "Then the officers shall speak further to the people, and they

shall say, 'Who is the man that is afraid (xrey.Aha) and fainthearted

(bbAl.eha j`rav;)? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might =

not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart."' The irony of the=

²⁶ Block, "The Period of the Judges: Religious Disintegration under Tribal Rule,= " 52.

27 The fear motif is stressed not only by the repetition of xry related word drH: In 7:3, God's instructions for removing the men of fear are found in <= /o:p>

the words bwoyA dreHav; xreyA-ymi. The adjective dreHA basically= means "trembling" from fear,

though Bauman contends that the semantic focus is on panic terror (Theological Dic= -

tionary of the Old Testament, s.v. “drH," by= A. Bauman, 5 [1986]: 167). Most transla-

tions render this as "whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return," though Boling

treats the expression as a hendiadys: "Whoever is downright afraid" (Rob= ert G. Bol-

ing, Judges: Introduction, Translation, = and Commentary, Anchor Bible [Garden City,

NY: Doubleday, 1975], p. 144). In either case the connection with the place-nam= e

droHE Nyfe of 7:1 can hardly be missed. As a proper name, droHE <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>appears as= a hapax le-

gomenon. Whatever the lexical connection with verse 3 (Boling translates dhoHE Nyfe as

"Harod's Spring" [ibid., 142]), the narrator seems to intend a play on words, t= hat is,

the very name of the place is a reminder of the "fearful trembling" t= hat turned men

back from battle. G. R. Driver notes the play on the name, but rejects the notion that

droHE Nyfe is so-cal= led because of Gideon's proclamation that whoever was fearful should

leave ("Hebrew Homonyms," Vetus Testamentum Supplement 16 [1967]: 54-56). Driver

claims that three or four distinct roots lie behind the Hebrew drH.

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges     &nbs= p;         &= nbsp;   159

unit in Judges is that one of the tests for eliminating unnecessary Is-

raelite warriors (viz., fear, see Judg. 7:3) is the very problem that be-

set the leader himself. The connection with 7:10, in which the Lord =

spoke to Gideon, is striking: "But if you are afraid to go down, go

with Purah your servant down to the camp." The issue then was

whether Gideon himself could overcome his own fear to believe that

the Lord would give Midian into the hand of Israel. In this case the

structure has proved useful, playing handmaid to the narrator's

chief concerns: ridding Gideon of his fear and lack of faith and con-<= /span>

vincing him that God would do exactly as He had promised.

Gideon's request with the fleece reflected war in his heart: he

was fearful and lacked faith. Interestingly the reduction of Gideon's

army in the structure of the text falls precisely between his un-

founded request for a fleece and God's exposure of his fear. Therefore <= /span>

the reduction of the army was not so much intended to glorify God (by

demonstrating His ability to deliver with only 300) as it was to put
Gideon in a position where his fear would be exposed. The very <= /p>
thing Gideon had hoped to achieve by the fleece demonstration-<= /p>
some kind of self-assurance that things would turn out well-was the <= /span>

very "carpet" that God pulled out from beneath him. Gideon sought

to gain some security by his self-conceived sign with the fleece, and

though God acquiesced to that request, He immediately countered by

putting Gideon in an even more vulnerable position. If Gideon strug-

gled to trust God with 32,000 Israelites against a Midianite force of

135,000 (see 8:10), how w= ould he react when he had only a force of

300? In this light the words of God in 7:10 take on great significance.

THE RESOLUTION OF GIDEON'S FEAR

What Gideon sought to gain by the si= gn of the fleece was

brought to nil. So he had to go back to the choice to believe God's

promise simply because God had spoken. To help him see that, God =

devised a sign for him. In the fifth episode (7:12-14), God confirmed

His will through a Midianite's dream, which Gideon overheard be-

ing retold and interpreted by the Midianite. The statement "God

has given Midian and all the camp into his hand" repeats the

promise God had been making all along to Gideon, but now God al-<= /p>
lowed him to hear it from the lips of a Midianite soldier. The irony <= /span>

is stunning: hearing the promise directly from the Lord did not con-

vince Gideon, but hearing it from the Midianite soldier did.

The final episode of this section (<= st1:time Minute=3D"15" Hour=3D"19" w:st=3D"on">7:15-18) shows that overhe= ar-

ing the dream brought about the desired effect in Gideon. "And it

came about when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its in-

terpretation, that he bowed in worship" (v. 15). From that point on

Gideon was a different man-a man of faith and courage. In the fi-

nal segment of verse 15, Gideon roused his small band to action with=

160                 Bibliotheca Sacra / April-June 1992

the words, "Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into

your hands." The promise of deliverance now poured forth from his

own lips with complete confidence in God. Gideon had moved from

fear to faith, and that is precisely the point of the section 6:33-7:18.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF STRUCTURE TO THEOLOGY

The textual patterning of the Gideon narrative is carefully com-

posed to highlight not the deliverance from Midian but the change

that transpired in Gideon's heart, and it is precisely there that the

greatest theological lesson in these chapters is found. The fear in

Gideon's heart held him back from being able to trust the promise =

God had given about his delivering Israel from the Midianites. To

overcome this deficiency in Gideon's life, God uniquely worked to ex-

pose the problem of fear in his life and to bring him to a point of wor-

ship and faith. Then and only then was Gideon ready to lead Israel

in battle. Within this central section of the narrative, the six

episodes are carefully composed in a concentric arrangement (A B C

C B' A') as though the very structure reflects the reversal going on

within Gideon. Furthermore all the struggles in the book result from

a lack of faith. This struggle is most fully spelled out in the Gideon <= /o:p>

narrative, which accords with this event (his religious struggle) be-

ing put in the very center of the book.

Though Gideon's life eventually beca= me a disappointment (like

those of most other judges and kings in Israel's history), the focal =

element of the Gideon narrative from the perspective of the structure

provides a paradigm of what God was looking for in a leader for the

nation: God desired a leader who would simply worship Him and

take Him at His word. For Gideon, this lesson did not come easily.

The narrator, savoring the theological impact that the historical

recounting of Gideon's story provided for his readers, suspended the

deliverance account momentarily to allow the camera (as it were) to <= /p>
slow the tempo and focus in on Gideon as a leader. The concentric

patterning of the text with the "fear motif" centrally placed²⁸ h= igh-

lights God's careful tooling of Gideon the man to demonstrate His de-

sire for the leader of His covenant people. In doing so, the narrator

leaves the reader with a penetrating message: God must bring His

servant to a moment when all human confidence is stripped away, he

sits silently in humble adoration of his God as the One who is to-

tally sufficient against all odds to accomplish His divine will. Then =

and only then is he ready to move forward to taste God's victory,

though that victory is no more secure or certain than before.

²⁸ Elements = C and C' of the concentric pattern for 6:33-7:18 contain the repetition of

xry ("fear") whereby Gideon's= own problem is artfully exposed.

The Gideon Narrative as the Focal Po= int of Judges     &nbs= p; 161

Conclusion

The judges of Israel (as valuable as they w= ere in delivering Is-

rael at times) proved to be an insufficient means by which Israel =

would overcome her foreign aggressors. The problem of course was not <= /span>

the inability of the Lord to safeguard His people, but their continual

and even worsening tendency to turn from Him. Though God raised up <= /span>

the deliverers needed for the moment, He sovereignly controlled the =

"quality" of the judges provided. It is no wonder then that the main

body of the Book of Judges does not present a uniform cycle of sin-dis-

cipline-repentance-deliverance. Overall, the cycles reflect a pro-

gressive degeneration, so that by the time Samson comes on the scene

the reader is left questioning the value of a judge altogether. That is

precisely the impression the narrator wished to present, and that is

what makes the epilogue to the book so appropriate. By the time

the reader reaches the end of the Samson narrative, he ought to re-<= /span>

alize that another "judge" would not be the answer to the nation's

problem. The narrator, in anticipation of what was coming in 1

Samuel with the crowning of a king, was overtly using the twofold

epilogue of Judges 17-21 to further this transition from a theocracy

(utilizing judges) to a monarchy. As stated four times in Judges: "In =

those days there was no king in Israel" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The

judges were a disappointment (and ultimately Gideon himself was =

also). But at the very center of the judge cycles is the theological

truth of what God seeks in His leaders: He desires those who wor-

ship Him and take Him at His word, and thus are committed to do-

ing all His will. As the kings took their place over the nation, the

same expectation would fall on them as well. How fitting that this

enduring lesson would be strategically placed (through textual pat-

terning) at the very heart of the Book of Judges, not simply in the

Gideon narrative but at the focal point of that narrative as well.

= This material is cited with gracious permission from:

=             Dallas Theological= Seminary

=             3909 Swiss Ave. <= /p>
=         &= nbsp;   Dallas, TX   75204

www.dts.edu

= Please report any errors to Ted Hildebrandt at:&n= bsp; thildebrandt@gordon.edu=