all Israel, a combat with twelve men from each side was staged. But this decided nothing, for each warrior transfixed his opponent with the sword so that all twenty-four perished. Thereafter fierce fighting erupted, with Abner losing eighteen times as many men as Joab. All together there were 380 casualties, including Joab’s brother Asahel, killed by Abner in self-defense. (2 Sam. 2:12-31) In revenge over Asahel, Joab later murdered Abner. (2 Sam. 3:27, 30) Sometime after this, near the great stone in Gibeon, Joab also killed his own cousin, Amasa, the nephew of David whom David had appointed army chieftain.—2 Sam. 20:8-10.

Throughout the centuries the original Gibeonites continued to exist as a people, although King Saul schemed to destroy them. The Gibeonites, however, patiently waited on Jehovah to reveal the injustice. This he did by means of a three-year famine in David’s reign. Upon inquiring of Jehovah and learning that bloodguilt was involved, David interviewed the Gibeonites to ascertain what should be done to make atonement. The Gibeonites rightly answered that it was not a “matter of silver or gold,” because, according to the Law, no ransom could be accepted for a murderer. (Num. 35:30, 31) They also recognized that they could not put a man to death without legal authorization. Therefore, not until David’s further questioning did they request that seven “sons” of Saul be handed over to them. The fact that bloodguilt was upon both Saul and his household suggests that, although Saul probably took the lead in the murderous action, the “sons” of Saul may directly or indirectly have shared in it. (2 Sam. 21:1-9) In that event this would not be a case of sons dying for the sins of their fathers (Deut. 24:16), but would involve the administration of retributive justice in harmony with the law “soul for soul.”—Deut. 19:21.

During David’s lifetime, the tabernacle was moved to Gibeon. (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29, 30) It was there that Solomon sacrificed early in his reign. Also at Gibeon Jehovah appeared to him in a dream, inviting him to request anything that he might desire.—1 Ki. 3:4, 5; 9:1, 2; 2 Chron. 1:3, 6, 13.

Years later the prophet Isaiah (28:21, 22), in foretelling Jehovah’s strange deed and unusual work of rising up against his own people, parallels this with what happened in the low plain of Gibeon. Likely the allusion is to David’s God-given victory over the Philistines (1 Chron. 14:16), if not also to the much earlier defeat of the Amorite league in the time of Joshua. (Josh. 10:5, 6, 10-14) The prophecy had a fulfillment in 607 B.C.E., when Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and its temple.

At Mizpah, not long after the foretold destruction, Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. The assassin and his men also took the remaining people of Mizpah captive. But Johanan, with his men, overtook Ishmael by the abundant waters in Gibeon and recovered the captives.—Jer. 41:2, 3, 10-16.

Men of Gibeon were among those returning from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E., and certain ones later shared in repairing Jerusalem’s wall.—Neh. 3:7; 7:6, 7, 25.

GIDDALTI

(Gid·dalʹti) [I have magnified (God)].

A son of Heman; a Levite singer who in David’s time was designated by lot to serve as the head of the twenty-second of the twenty-four service groups of twelve musicians each.—1 Chron. 25:1, 4, 29.

GIDDEL

(Gidʹdel) [(God) has increased, or reared].

1. An ancestor of a family of Nethinim temple slaves who were among those who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 43, 47; Neh. 7:49.

2. The paternal head of one of the families of “the sons of the servants of Solomon” who are listed among those who returned to Jerusalem and Judah in 537 B.C.E.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 55, 56; Neh. 7:58.

GIDEON

(Gidʹe·on) [feller, hewer].

One of Israel’s outstanding judges; the son of Joash of the family of Abi-ezer of the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon resided at Ophrah, a town evidently W of the Jordan. The tribal division to which he belonged was the most insignificant in Manasseh and he was “the smallest in [his] father’s house.”—Judg. 6:11, 15.

Gideon lived in a very turbulent time of Israel’s history. Because of their unfaithfulness to Jehovah, the Israelites were not enjoying the fruits of their labor. For a number of years neighboring pagan nations, especially the Midianites, had invaded Israel at harvesttime with hordes “as numerous as the locusts.” The hand of Midian proved to be heavy upon them for seven years, so much so that the Israelites made underground storage places for themselves in order to conceal their food supplies from the invaders.—Judg. 6:1-6.

CALLED TO SERVE AS A DELIVERER

To avoid discovery by the Midianites, Gideon was threshing grain, not out in the open, but in a winepress, when an angel appeared to him, saying: “Jehovah is with you, you valiant, mighty one.” This prompted Gideon to ask how this could be true, in view of the Midianite oppression of the nation. When told that he would be the one to deliver Israel, Gideon modestly spoke of his own insignificance. But he was assured that Jehovah would prove to be with him. Therefore Gideon asked for a sign so that he might know that the messenger was really Jehovah’s angel. He brought a gift of meat, unfermented cakes and broth, and at the angel’s direction placed the items on a big rock and poured out the broth. The angel touched the meat and unfermented cakes with his staff, and fire began to ascend out of the rock and to consume the offering, whereupon the angel vanished.—Judg. 6:11-22.

That very night Jehovah put Gideon to the test by commanding him to tear down his father’s altar to the god Baal, to cut down the sacred pole alongside it, to build an altar to Jehovah and then to offer his father’s young bull of seven years (evidently a bull that was considered sacred to Baal) upon it, using as firewood the sacred pole. With due caution, Gideon did so at night with the aid of ten servants. When the men of the city got up in the morning and saw what had happened and then learned that Gideon was responsible, they clamored for his life. Joash, though, did not deliver up his son to them but retorted to the effect that Baal should make his own defense. Joash then gave his son Gideon the name Jerubbaal (meaning “Let Baal make a legal defense against him”), saying: “Let Baal make a legal defense in his own behalf, because someone has pulled down his altar.”—Judg. 6:25-32.

VICTORY OVER MIDIAN

After this, when the Midianites, together with the Amalekites and the Easterners, again invaded Israel and encamped in the valley of Jezreel, Jehovah’s spirit enveloped Gideon. Calling together the Abi-ezrites for battle, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh and to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, urging men to join him. Gideon, desiring further evidence that Jehovah was with him, requested that a fleece exposed at night on the threshing floor be wet with dew the next morning but that the floor be dry. When Jehovah granted him this miracle, Gideon cautiously wanted Jehovah’s being with him established by yet a second sign and therefore requested and received a miracle with the circumstances reversed.—Judg. 6:33-40.

Thirty-two thousand fighting men rallied around Gideon in response to his call. They encamped at the well of Harod S of the Midianite camp at the hill of Moreh in the low plain. The Israelites’ 32,000 were outnumbered about four to one by the invaders, with a force of about 135,000. (Judg. 8:10) But Jehovah indicated that there were too many men with