And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
When the men of the city got up early in the morning, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down, the sacred pole beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been sacrificed on the new altar that was built.
The townspeople discovered that someone had destroyed their pagan altar and worship site overnight and built a new altar to God instead.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, Israel was repeatedly turning away from God and facing oppression from enemy nations as a result of their unfaithfulness. At this point, the Israelites were under Midianite rule because of their idolatry, including the worship of Baal through altars and sacred groves. Gideon, whom God had called as a leader, followed divine instructions to destroy his father's Baal altar and build a new one for the Lord, an act that the townspeople discovered in this verse.
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