And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
And Gideon said to God, 'Please don't be angry with me, and I'll ask just this one more time: let me test you once more with the fleece. This time, let only the fleece be dry while there's dew on all the ground around it.'
Gideon is nervously asking God for one final sign to confirm His promise, requesting the opposite miracle from before—a dry fleece surrounded by wet ground.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Israel's oppression by the Midianites around 1200 BC. Gideon had already received one miraculous sign with a wet fleece on dry ground, but his fear and uncertainty led him to request the reverse miracle. This was part of God's patient process of building Gideon's confidence before he would lead a small army to defeat the vast Midianite forces.
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