The battle of Saul against the Philistines and the battle of Gideon against the Midianites
1. Introduction
On this website, you’ll find various examples of stories in the Old Testament that run parallel to each other. Think of the story of Judah and Tamar and the story of Boaz and Ruth, or the stories of Elijah and Elisha. And there are many more examples. It’s a narrative form that belongs to the Hebrew background of the Old Testament. In this article, we’ll look at a particularly striking example of such a parallel story.
2. The battle of Gideon against the Midianites
The story of Gideon, as described in the Book of Judges, is one of the best-known accounts in the Old Testament. God commands Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Gideon asks for a sign twice: first, a fleece becomes wet while the ground remains dry, and the next night the opposite occurs. In the end, Gideon defeats the Midianites with an army that is gradually reduced from 32,000 men to 10,000, and finally to just 300. It is a well-known story of a judge who doubts and fears, yet ultimately fulfils God’s command to conquer the Midianites.
3. The battle of Saul against the Philistines
There is a striking parallel between the story of Gideon and his battle with the Midianites and the story of Saul and his battle against the Philistines. We can see this when we place several characteristic features side by side.
The Israelites have hiding places in mountain clefts, caves, and other hard-to-reach locations. | (see end) |
The story begins with a reminder of the exodus. | The story begins with a reminder of the exodus. |
Gideon is ordered to liberate Israel from the Midianites | Saul is ordered to liberate Israel from the Philistines |
Gideon is from the small tribe of Manasseh, and Gideon is the youngest of the family | Saul belongs to Benjamin, one of the smallest tribes of Israel and in that tribe his family is the least important |
God says he will help Gideon | Samuel says that God will help Saul |
Gideon gets a sign | Saul receives several signs as he returns home from his quest for the donkeys after his conversation with Samuel |
Midianites like sand on the seashore | Philistines like sand on the seashore |
The force of 32,000 men is reduced to 10,000 men and then to 300 men | Originally there were three thousand Israelites; of these, 600 men remained with Saul |
Gideon blows the ram's horn to rally the troops | Saul blows the ram's horn to rally the troops |
(see beginning) | The men hide in caves, holes and holes in the rocks, in tombs and cisterns for fear of the Philistines |
It is striking that the story of the battle against the Midianites begins with the people hiding from the enemy, and that the story of the battle against the Philistines ends in the same way. This is telling of the difference between the two. The story of Gideon begins with a fearful people and ends in deliverance. The story of Saul, however, ends in a deadlock, for Saul does nothing to seek God’s guidance, even though priests were present in his army. And the people remain in hiding.
4. The battle of Jonathan against the Philistines.
The continuation is remarkable. Saul’s son Jonathan goes with his armor-bearer to the Philistines with the motto, “For the Lord can bring victory through few just as well as through many.” He asks for a sign. Once the Philistines see Jonathan and his armor-bearer, their response will be the sign: “If they say to us, ‘Stop! Don’t move until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, for that will be the sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.” The latter happens, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer manage to defeat the group of Philistines. Confusion breaks out in the Philistine camp, and they begin attacking each other. Saul and his troops join the battle, and the Ephraimites also take part.
What we see now is that this story forms a parallel with the later developments in Saul’s history.
The LORD to Gideon: I do not want Israel to boast that it has delivered itself by its own strength. Then 300 soldiers are selected | Jonathan: After all, God can bring victory with a few just as easily as with many. |
With servant Pura | Jonathan with armor bearer |
Gideon receives a sign (dream and its interpretation) | Jonathan gets a signal (guard: 'Come on') |
Midianite in dream: Gideon's sword | Only Saul and Jonathan have sword |
Midianites take up sword against each other | The Philistines take up sword against each other |
Men from the mountainous region of Ephraim cut off the pass | Israelites from the mountainous country of Ephraim also set out in pursuit |
The three hundred men are near exhaustion | The soldiers, completely exhausted … |
Gideon answered, “I will not be your ruler, nor will my son be your ruler, for the LORD is your ruler”. | Jonathan will not become king, but David will |
5. Conclusion
The battle against the Philistines has a clear parallel with the battle against the Midianites. What stands out, however, is that in the first part Saul plays the leading role, while in the second part this role is given to Jonathan. The message is clear: Saul’s role has come to an end. Saul has fallen short; he shows a lack of trust in God and even a lack of obedience. Jonathan, on the other hand, follows the example of Gideon and demonstrates what it means to trust in God.
Bas Krins