And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
Joash said to everyone who was angry with him, 'Are you going to defend Baal? Are you going to rescue him? Anyone who defends him should be killed before morning! If he's really a god, let him defend himself, since someone has torn down his altar.'
Joash is boldly challenging the people by saying that if Baal is truly a god, he should be able to defend himself without human help.
📚 Historical Context
In the era of the Judges, Israel repeatedly turned away from God to worship idols like Baal, resulting in cycles of oppression by enemy nations such as the Midianites. Gideon was chosen by God to lead Israel in deliverance, starting with the destruction of his father Joash's Baal altar as a bold act of faith. When the townspeople angrily demanded Gideon's punishment, Joash defended him by challenging them to let Baal prove his power if he was truly a god.
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