King James Version

What Does Judges 6:37 Mean?

“Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.”

Context

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. gathered: Heb. called

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

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.

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Topics in This Verse

Salvation

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(37) **A fleece of wool.**—In works of art this is sometimes represented as an entire sheepskin, probably from an erroneous explanation of the Vulgate, *Vellus lanae, *and from Luther’s rendering, *ein Fell mit der Wolle. *But the English version is correct. **In the floor.**—*i.e., *on the open threshing-floor. (See Note on Judges 6:11, and comp. Psalm 1:4; Hosea 13:3.) **If the dew be on the fleece only.**—The very fact that this circumstance might be a purely natural result only shows the simple truthfulness of the narrative. Gideon would hardly have asked for *this *sign if he had been aware that, taken alone, it would be no sign of supernatural guidance. Bishop Hervey quotes Lord Bacon, who says (*Nat Hist.*) that “Sailors have used every night to hang fleeces of wool on the sides of their ships towards the water, and they have crushed fresh water out of them in the morning.” Every one must have noticed flocks of wool on the hedges, sparkling with dewdrops long after the dew on the leaves around them has evaporated. In Psalm 72:6 (Prayer Book), “He shall come down like the rain *into a fleece of wool,” *the Hebrew word is the same as here, and the ancient version takes it in the same sense (LXX., *epi plokon; *Vulg., *in vellus*)*; *but perhaps the true sense is there “mown grass,” as in Amos 7:1 (*mowings*)*.*

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Judges 6:37 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.