Bible Strands
Judges 6:30
Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The men of the city confront Joash, demanding he hand over his son Gideon for execution after they identify him as the one who destroyed Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole. This occurs immediately after their thorough investigation concludes.
The words — הוֹצֵא (ho.Tze') means "bring out" and בִּנְ/ךָ֖ (bin./Kha) means "your son," forming the direct command to surrender Gideon. The phrasing establishes the city’s demand for immediate punitive action against the idolatry breaker.
The thread — The demand for execution over religious reform parallels the warning in John 16:2 that killers will think they serve God, and reflects the persecuting zeal described in Philippians 3:6. It also anticipates the conviction to oppose Jesus’ name noted in Acts 26:9.
Why it lands — The text demands a clear choice between religious tradition and obedience to God. It requires the reader to examine whether their own convictions align with divine authority rather than communal pressure.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
Cross-references
- Acts 26:9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
- John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
- Philippians 3:6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
- Jeremiah 26:11 Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
- Jeremiah 50:38 A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.