Judges 6:37 (DRB)

Passage

I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew in the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel.

Nearby Context

Judges 6:35 And he sent messengers into all Manasses, and they also followed him : and other messengers into Aser and Zabulon, and Nephthali, and they came to meet him.

Judges 6:36 And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

Judges 6:37 I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew in the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel.

Judges 6:38 And it was so. And rising before day, wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.

Judges 6:39 And he said again to God: Let not thy wrath be kindled against me, if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fleece", "wool", "floor", "only", "ground", "beside", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fleece" and "wool", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "And Gedeon said to God If thou..." into verse 38's "And it was so And rising before...", so "fleece" and "wool" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fleece" and "wool" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.