Acted wickedly. Until this period, Scripture states, "They resumed [acting wickedly]" since their iniquities accumulated. However, through this hymn¹ they were granted forgiveness for all that they had perpetrated.² But now they began sinning anew. This interpretation is in Agadas Tehilim.

footnotes: ¹ Sung by Devorah and Barak [ch.5]. ² Anyone rescued miraculously who then sings a hymn of praise forgiven all his sins, as if he had been newly created. (Yalkut, 60)

Retreats. Hidden places.³ In old French, "voutes". Because a slight bit of illumination is positioned in them in some inconspicuous spot, they are referred to as מִנְהׇרוֹת, lit. "glimmerings", "lucerno" in old French.

footnotes: ³ This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.

Caves. "Grotte" in old French

Stockades. "Palliser" in old French, "pales", as it is constructed in the forest by felling trees around its perimeter.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ The trees serve as the pales or stakes forming the stockade.

With their cattle to graze on the produce.

A prophet. This prophet was Pinchas.⁵ Taken from Seder Olam.

footnotes: ⁵ See above, 2:1.

The Aviezrite. One of the sons of Aviezer ben Gilod ben Menasheh.

His son Gidon. His father had been threshing, while he sifted. He told him, "Father, you are elderly. If the enemies come, you will never be able to escape. You leave, and I will thresh."

In the wine press. With beams of an olive press.

Adonoy is with you, man of supreme power. Since He infused you with such power.

If [lit. and] Adonoy is with us.⁶ If Adonoy is with us, why has [all this] occurred, etc.

footnotes: ⁶ Not “And Adonoy is with us,” as the literal reading would indicate, but “If Adonoy is with us,” as demonstrated by the following phrase cited by Rashi, “why has [all this] occurred, etc.”.

Which our forefathers recounted to us. It was Pesach, and he told him, "Last night father recited the Hallel for me, and I heard him read, "When Yisroel departed from Egypt"⁷—but now He has abandoned us. If our forefathers were saintly, let Him act in our behalf in their merit; and if they were wicked, then, just as He worked His wonders for them gratuitously, so, let Him act in our behalf. Where are all His marvels?"⁸

footnotes: ⁷ “…the sea observed and fled, the Yardein turned back, etc.” (Tehilim, 114) ⁸ Yalkut, 62.

Turned to him. The Holy One, blessed is He, Himself.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ Gidon was visited by Adonoy himself in the merit of his advocacy of Yisroel. (Yalkut, ibid)

By this power of yours. By the power of the merit of your advocacy of my children.¹⁰ This is R' Tanchuma's explanation.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Ibid.

Behold, my unit [lit. thousand]. The thousand member unit of which I am a constituent, under the command of its captain, is the most inadequate unit among all the units in Menasheh.

That you. The same as שֶׁאַתׇּה, with the segol vocalization.¹¹ vocalization, which appears in the text, is the same as שֶׁאַתׇּה “that you.”

footnotes: ¹¹ שֶׁאַתׇּה, with the “kamatz”

Matzos containing flour. We learn that it was Pesach, the day the Omer offering was waved.¹² This is why it is said,¹³ "Behold, a toasted barley bread was careening,¹⁴ etc."

footnotes: ¹² On the second day of Pesach. (Vayikra, 23:11) ¹³ Below, 7:13. ¹⁴ “… into the camp of Midyon. It reached the tent and struck it down.” This was in the merit of the Omer offering (Rashi, there, Yalkut, 62), which was made of barley.

Soup. Broth.

Aahha. This denotes apprehension, as if to say, "What will become of me?"

This, because I have seen. Because I have seen an angel of Adonoy—this is why I am apprehensive and exclaim "Aahha!"

Entitled it. Gidon named the altar.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ The reading is, “[He] entitled it, ‘Adonoy is peace,’” not “Adonoy entitled it, ‘Peace.’”.

Adonoy is peace. Adonoy is our peace.

Bullock [lit. bull ox]. The young bull, as even a day old ox is called an "ox".¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ The 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.

**A second bull.**וְתוֹרָא תִּנְיׇנׇא, "A second bull".¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ This is Targum Yonasan’s rendition.

Seven year. Which had been fattened for seven years to be brought as an idolatrous sacrifice. Eight prohibitions were suspended¹⁸ 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.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁸ 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 ¹⁹ 29:a.

Top of the bulwark. Top of the rock.

You want to fight for [lit. "to"] the baal? For the sake of the baal.

To avenge [lit. rescue] him. To exact vengeance for him.²⁰ Similarly, "by my own hand exacting my vengeance,"²¹ by David concerning Novol.

footnotes: ²⁰ The literal translation of תּוֹשִׁיעוּן, “to rescue,” does not apply, since the idol was no longer endangered. The alternate interpretation, “to avenge,” is correct here. ²¹ Shmuel 1, 25:33. הוֹשִׁיעָה is interpreted as “avenge.”

Whoever fights for [lit. "to"] him. For his sake.

Wait until morning. Until morning, wait.

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.

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".²² However, לוֹ, lit. "to", is not the proper term. Every לוֹ mentioned here is interpreted as "for his sake."

footnotes: ²² Bereishis, 31:36.

The Divine spirit. The spirit of valor.

Aviezer gathered. The entire clan.

That is what occurred. The dew condensed on the fleece alone more than everywhere else, as it is said, "a full bowl of water." However, "while all of the ground is dry" did not materialize, as a Divine covenant assures perpetual dew fall.

He squeezed. The word connotes pressure. Similarly, "They were neither pressed nor bandaged."²³ They were not strapped in bandages to draw out the discharge.

footnotes: ²³ Yeshaya, 1:6.