Original Word: גָּזַּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: gazzah
Pronunciation: ghiz-zaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (gaz-zaw')
KJV: fleece
NASB: fleece
Word Origin: [feminine from H1494 (גָּזַז - cut off)]

1. a fleece

fleece

Feminine from gazaz; a fleece -- fleece.

see HEBREW gazaz

Word Origin
from gazaz
Definition
a fleece
NASB Translation
fleece (7).

גִּזָּה noun feminine fleece — (Arabic , Aramaic ) גִּזָּה Judges 6:37 5t.; construct גִּזַּת Judges 6:37; — fleece, צֶמֶר ׳ג Judges 6:37; absolute Judges 6:37,38 (twice in verse); Judges 6:39 (twice in verse); Judges 6:40.

Definition and Scope

The term designates the “fleece”–the freshly shorn wool of a sheep still lying in one piece. In Scripture it appears only in the narrative of Gideon (Judges 6:37-40), where it is mentioned seven times. Because of that singular setting, its significance is bound entirely to the events surrounding Gideon’s appeal for divine confirmation before leading Israel against Midian.

Biblical Occurrences

Judges 6:37-40 records two consecutive signs requested by Gideon:
• First, “I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said.” (Judges 6:37).
• The LORD grants the sign, and Gideon “squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.” (Judges 6:38).
• Unsatisfied, Gideon asks once more, reversing the conditions: “Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.” (Judges 6:39).
• “And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.” (Judges 6:40).

Historical Background

Gideon lived during the Midianite oppression in the days of the Judges, a time marked by Israel’s repeated cycle of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation. He had already received both a prophetic rebuke (Judges 6:7-10) and an angelic commission (Judges 6:11-24). Though empowered by the Spirit of the LORD (Judges 6:34), Gideon still struggled with doubt. The fleece request occurs between his public summons to war and the actual battle, highlighting the tension between divine promise and human apprehension.

Symbolic and Theological Significance

1. Assurance of Covenant Faithfulness

The dew-soaked fleece first, then the dew-covered ground, dramatize the LORD’s sovereign control over creation, echoing earlier signs such as the plagues in Egypt and foreshadowing later prophetic demonstrations (for example, 1 Kings 18:30-39). The repeated miracle affirms God’s immutable faithfulness to His covenant promises despite Israel’s unfaithfulness.

2. Grace toward Weak Faith

Gideon’s request, while timid, is met without rebuke. The narrative illustrates that God condescends to strengthen faltering faith when the heart is disposed to obey. Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among the heroes of faith, confirming that the LORD acknowledged the genuineness of his trust even while addressing his hesitations.

3. Contrast of Blessing and Barrenness

Dew in Scripture often represents blessing and life (Genesis 27:28; Proverbs 19:12). In the first sign, blessing is isolated on the fleece while the ground is dry; in the second, the situation is reversed. The imagery can be read as a preview of how God would single out Gideon’s small, unlikely band for success while the surrounding nations would be left fruitless.

4. Revelation through Specific, Verifiable Signs

The fleece episodes model a kind of revelation that is both repeatable and falsifiable. This emphasis on objective evidence counters the subjectivism of surrounding pagan divination practices, rooting Gideon’s confidence not in omens but in the direct intervention of Israel’s covenant God.

Practical Application for Ministry

• Discernment and Confirmation

Believers are sometimes tempted to imitate Gideon by setting subjective “fleeces.” Scripture does not forbid seeking confirmation, yet the narrative calls us to remember that Gideon acted before the completion of God’s written revelation. Today, believers possess the full counsel of Scripture and the indwelling Holy Spirit; dependence on external signs should give way to prayerful study of the Word and obedience to clear commands.

• Leading from Humility

Gideon’s caution did not disqualify him; instead, God shaped him into a leader whose ultimate confidence rested in divine power, not numeric strength. Ministry leaders can learn that admitting weakness and asking for God’s assurance fosters reliance on grace rather than self-sufficiency (compare 2 Corinthians 12:9).

• Patience with the Doubting

The LORD’s response teaches congregations and mentors to handle sincere doubts with patience. Instead of condemnation, appropriate instruction and reassurance can move the hesitant toward bold obedience.

Christological and Redemptive Foreshadowing

Early church commentators sometimes viewed the moist fleece surrounded by dry ground as an image of Israel receiving divine revelation while the nations remained parched, and the dry fleece amid dew-soaked earth as a prophecy of the gospel’s spread to the Gentiles after Israel’s hardness. While typology must be employed carefully, the alternation does anticipate the universal scope of God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:6).

Related Imagery in Scripture

• Shepherd motifs (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11) connect the fleece to pastoral care.
• The practice of laying something on a threshing floor parallels Ruth 3, where covenant kindness is displayed in a setting of grain and provision.
• Dew as blessing recurs in passages like Deuteronomy 33:13 and Hosea 14:5.

Conclusion

The “fleece” of Gideon is more than an incidental detail; it is a tangible witness to God’s willingness to reassure the faint-hearted, a demonstration of His mastery over creation, and a pointer to the broader redemptive account unfolding through Israel’s history. For the church today, it encourages confident obedience grounded in Scripture and invites patient shepherding of those who, like Gideon, ask for one more sign of the Lord’s unfailing faithfulness.

בַּגִּזָּ֔ה בגזה גִּזַּ֥ת גזת הַגִּזָּ֑ה הַגִּזָּ֔ה הַגִּזָּ֜ה הַגִּזָּה֙ הגזה bag·giz·zāh baggizZah baggizzāh giz·zaṯ gizZat gizzaṯ hag·giz·zāh haggizZah haggizzāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts