Gideon's Fleece

A hesitant farmer laid a fleece of wool on the floor and asked God for a sign. God answered him twice - first with dew on the fleece alone, then with dew everywhere but the fleece.

With the Midianites and their allies gathered in the valley of Jezreel, Gideon asked God for a sign that He would truly save Israel by his hand. He laid a fleece of wool on the threshing floor and asked that dew fall on the fleece alone while the ground stayed dry. In the morning he wrung out a bowl full of water from the fleece. Then, asking God not to be angry, he requested the reverse, and that night the fleece stayed dry while dew covered all the ground. God patiently answered a hesitant man's request twice, strengthening him for the battle ahead.

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Details

Category: Nature
Testament: Old Testament
Performed by: God

Key Chapters

Judges 6 The Call of Gideon 8 min read God meets Gideon's trembling faith with patience, answering his request for a si...

Key Passages

The Fleece and the Dew

Judges 6:36-40

God meets Gideon's trembling faith with patience, answering his request for a sign not once but twice.

A³⁶nd Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

³⁷ 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. ³⁸ 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. ³⁹ 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. ⁴⁰ And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.