Judges 6:31

Courage and strength Parents and children Justice Faith

²⁹ “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

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.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”

³² So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.

³³ Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
KJV: And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
WEB: Joash 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!”
ASV: And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death whilst [it is yet] morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar.
DARBY: And Joash said to all that stood near him, Will *ye* contend for Baal? or will *ye* save him? he that contends for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because they have broken down his altar.
BLB: And Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you⁺ plead for Baal, if you⁺ would save him? The one who would plead for him shall be put to death by the morning! If he [is] a god, let him plead for himself because has been torn down his altar.”

ÅB: Men Joas sa til alle dem som sto omkring ham: Vil dere stride for Ba'al, vil dere hjelpe ham? Den som strider for ham, skal miste livet innen imorgen. Er han Gud, da la ham stride for seg selv, siden de har revet ned hans alter.
OTB: Men Joasj svarte den fiendtlige mengden: “Vil dere føre Baals sak? Vil dere redde ham? Den som kjemper for ham skal dø innen morgenen! Hvis Baal virkelig er en gud, la ham forsvare seg selv når noen bryter ned hans alter.”
B1930: Men Joas sa til alle dem som stod omkring ham: Vil I stride for Ba'al, vil I hjelpe ham? Den som strider for ham, skal miste livet innen imorgen. Er han Gud, da la ham stride for sig selv, siden de har revet ned hans alter.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Read in context
Jeremiah 10:5
Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 10:11
Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
Read in context
1 Corinthians 8:4
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
Read in context
Psalms 115:4–7
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Read in context
Isaiah 46:7
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
Read in context
Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
Read in context
Isaiah 46:1
Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
Read in context