This document is about Joash (Gideon's Father). For other homonyms, please refer to the Joash document. He was the father of the judge Gideon. He was a descendant of Abiezer of the tribe of Manasseh. His main region was Ophrah. Given that he had altars to Baal and Asherah in his house within the region of Ophrah, he is considered a prominent figure in that area. When Gideon received God's call, he tore down the Baal altar and Asherah pole that were in his possession. The villagers then tried to kill Gideon, but Joash instead protected his son. The fact that the villagers did not rashly kill Gideon first but gathered before Joash, and that they turned back when he persuaded them, also suggests that he was a prominent figure in that region.
Judges 6:11Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”Judges 6:12Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”Judges 6:13Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”Judges 6:14He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”Judges 6:15Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”Judges 6:16He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.Judges 6:17Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”Judges 6:18Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.Judges 6:19The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.Judges 6:20Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.Judges 6:21Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”Judges 6:22Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”Judges 6:23Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.Judges 6:24That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.Judges 6:25Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”Judges 6:26Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.Judges 6:27When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.Judges 6:28They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”Judges 6:29Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”Judges 6:30Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal))? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”Judges 6:31Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal), saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”Judges 6:32Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.Judges 6:33But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon), and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him.Judges 6:34He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
Judges 8:32As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.