Judges 6:29 (KJV)

What does Judges 6:29 mean?

Judges 6:29 describes how the people in Gideon's town reacted after discovering that someone had destroyed the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah pole. They questioned each other about who was responsible, investigated, and eventually learned that Gideon, the son of Joash, was the one who had done it.

The verse takes place after Gideon secretly obeyed God's command to tear down the altar to Baal and build an altar to the Lord. The townspeople are confused and alarmed, so they discuss among themselves ("said one to another") and make a deliberate effort to find out who did it. Their inquiry leads them to identify Gideon as the person responsible, setting up the conflict that follows in the next verses.

The Hebrew behind Judges 6:29

• The word "enquired" (דָּרַשׁ, darash) means to seek out or investigate carefully. This shows that the townspeople did not just ask casually—they put effort into finding the truth.
• The word "asked" (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) means to search or request. Together with "enquired," it emphasizes how determined the people were to get to the bottom of what happened.
• The word "thing" (דָּבָר, davar) is a general Hebrew word for "matter" or "event." In this context, it refers to the specific act of destroying the altar, highlighting the seriousness of the event in the eyes of the community.

Why Judges 6:29 matters

• This verse shows that Gideon's actions did not go unnoticed and that the community took the desecration of Baal's altar very seriously, which helps explain the tension in the following verses.
• The careful investigation by the townspeople reveals how important the worship of Baal had become in Israel at that time, setting the stage for Gideon's role as a reformer.
• Understanding the determination of the people to find the culprit adds weight to the danger Gideon faced, making his obedience to God more significant.