Tanach
Shoftim 6:25-32 שופטים ו׳:כ״ה-ל״ב
Part of: Chapter 6
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יְהֹוָה קַח אֶת־פַּר־הַשּׁוֹר אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיךָ וּפַר הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְהָרַסְתָּ אֶת־מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיךָ וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר־עָלָיו תִּכְרֹֽת׃
It happened on that night, that Adonoy said to him, "Take your father's bullock, and a second seven year bull. Smash your father's altar of the baal, and cut down its adjoining asheirah tree.
It happened on that night, that Adonoy said to him, "Take your father's bullock, and a second seven year bull. Smash your father's altar of the baal, and cut down its adjoining asheirah tree.
Rashi
ופר השני. (תרגום:) ותורא תנינא:
A second bull.וְתוֹרָא תִּנְיׇנׇא, "A second bull".17This is Targum Yonasan’s rendition.
שבע שנים. (תרגום:) דאיתפטם שבע שנין לעבודה זרה. שמונה דברים הותרו אותו הלילה: מוקצה, אשרה, ולילה, ובמה וכו', כדאיתא בתמורה (כח ב):
Seven year. Which had been fattened for seven years to be brought as an idolatrous sacrifice. Eight prohibitions were suspended18 1. The second bull, which had been designated as an idolatrous sacrifice, was now brought as an offering. 2. Utensils used previously for the Asheirah sacrifices were now used. 3. The wood of the Asheirah tree was used as fuel. 4. The offering was brought at night. 5. It was brought on a personal altar outside the Mishkon at Shiloh. 6. The second bull had been actually worshipped as a deity. 7. Gidon was not a Kohein. 8. He did not use the required sacred utensils. that night; 'designated', 'asheirah', 'night', 'altar', etc., as enumerated in Temurah.1929:a.
וּבָנִיתָ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל רֹאשׁ הַמָּעוֹז הַזֶּה בַּמַּעֲרָכָה וְלָֽקַחְתָּ אֶת־הַפָּר הַשֵּׁנִי וְהַעֲלִיתָ עוֹלָה בַּעֲצֵי הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר תִּכְרֹֽת׃
Build an altar to Adonoy, your God, on top of this bulwark, in a proper setting. Take the second bull and bring it as an olah offering with the wood of the asheirah tree which you shall cut down."
Build an altar to Adonoy, your God, on top of this bulwark, in a proper setting. Take the second bull and bring it as an olah offering with the wood of the asheirah tree which you shall cut down."
Rashi
ראש המעוז. ראש הסלע:
Top of the bulwark. Top of the rock.
וַיִּקַּח גִּדְעוֹן עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים מֵעֲבָדָיו וַיַּעַשׂ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרֵא אֶת־בֵּית אָבִיו וְאֶת־אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר מֵעֲשׂוֹת יוֹמָם וַיַּעַשׂ לָֽיְלָה׃
Gidon selected ten men from among his servants, and did as Adonoy had instructed him. It happened that, as he was too fearful of his father's household and the townspeople to act by day, he acted at night.
Gidon selected ten men from among his servants, and did as Adonoy had instructed him. It happened that, as he was too fearful of his father's household and the townspeople to act by day, he acted at night.
וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר בַּבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה נֻתַּץ מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל וְהָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר־עָלָיו כֹּרָתָה וְאֵת הַפָּר הַשֵּׁנִי הֹֽעֲלָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַבָּנֽוּי׃
The townspeople rose at early morning, and observed that the altar of the Baal was smashed, the adjoining asheirah tree had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered as an olah on the altar that had been built.
The townspeople rose at early morning, and observed that the altar of the Baal was smashed, the adjoining asheirah tree had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered as an olah on the altar that had been built.
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ מִי עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַֽיִּדְרְשׁוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
They said to each other, "Who did this thing?" They investigated, searched, and then declared: "Gidon ben Yoash did this thing."
They said to each other, "Who did this thing?" They investigated, searched, and then declared: "Gidon ben Yoash did this thing."
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר אֶל־יוֹאָשׁ הוֹצֵא אֶת־בִּנְךָ וְיָמֹת כִּי נָתַץ אֶת־מִזְבַּח הַבַּעַל וְכִי כָרַת הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר־עָלָֽיו׃
The townspeople said to Yoash, "Bring your son out to be executed, because he smashed the altar of the Baal, and because he cut down the adjoining asheirah tree."
The townspeople said to Yoash, "Bring your son out to be executed, because he smashed the altar of the Baal, and because he cut down the adjoining asheirah tree."
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָשׁ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָמְדוּ עָלָיו הַאַתֶּם ׀ תְּרִיבוּן לַבַּעַל אִם־אַתֶּם תּוֹשִׁיעוּן אוֹתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יָרִיב לוֹ יוּמַת עַד־הַבֹּקֶר אִם־אֱלֹהִים הוּא יָרֶב לוֹ כִּי נָתַץ אֶֽת־מִזְבְּחֽוֹ׃
Yoash retorted to everyone confronting him, "You want to fight for the Baal? You want to avenge him? Whoever fights for him will be executed! Wait until morning. If he is a Adonoy, let him fight for himself, since his altar was smashed."
Yoash retorted to everyone confronting him, "You want to fight for the Baal? You want to avenge him? Whoever fights for him will be executed! Wait until morning. If he is a Adonoy, let him fight for himself, since his altar was smashed."
Rashi
האתם תריבון לבעל. בשביל הבעל:
You want to fight for [lit. "to"] the baal? For the sake of the baal.
תושיעון אותו. תנקמו נקמתו, וכן (שמואל א כה לב): והושיעה ידי לי, דדוד בנבל:
To avenge [lit. rescue] him. To exact vengeance for him.20The literal translation of תּוֹשִׁיעוּן, “to rescue,” does not apply, since the idol was no longer endangered. The alternate interpretation, “to avenge,” is correct here. Similarly, "by my own hand exacting my vengeance,"21Shmuel 1, 25:33. הוֹשִׁיעָה is interpreted as “avenge.” by David concerning Novol.
אשר יריב לו. בשבילו:
Whoever fights for [lit. "to"] him. For his sake.
עד הבקר. עד הבקר המתינו:
Wait until morning. Until morning, wait.
אם אלהים הוא. יריב הוא לעצמו ריבו ונקמתו, וכדי לדחותם עד שיברח גדעון היה אומר כן:
If he is a god let him fight his own battle and exact his own vengeance. To rebuff them until Gidon could escape, he said this.
וַיִּקְרָא־לוֹ בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא יְרֻבַּעַל לֵאמֹר יָרֶב בּוֹ הַבַּעַל כִּי נָתַץ אֶֽת־מִזְבְּחֽוֹ׃ {ס}
He called him, that day, 'Yerubaal', as if to say, "Let the Baal fight against him, since he smashed his altar."
He called him, that day, 'Yerubaal', as if to say, "Let the Baal fight against him, since he smashed his altar."
Rashi
ירב בו. בגדעון אצל ריב נופל עם, או את, או בו, כמו (בראשית לא לו): וירב בלבן, אבל 'לו' אינו נופל על הלשון, וכל 'לו' הכתובים כאן 'בשביל' הם:
Fight against him. Against Gidon. In relation to רַיב, "fight", the proper term is עִם, or אֶת, or בּוֹ, "with" [him], as in "he fought with Lavan".22Bereishis, 31:36. However, לוֹ, lit. "to", is not the proper term. Every לוֹ mentioned here is interpreted as "for his sake."
פר השור. פר הבחור, שהשור בן יומו קרוי שור:
Bullock [lit. bull ox]. The young bull, as even a day old ox is called an "ox".16The inference of “Bull ox” is a bull that qualifies as an ox. Since even a day old bull qualifies, the reference is to a young bull.