Insignificant Family – After being appointed as a leader by Hashem's representative, both Gidon and Shaul refuse to accept the appointment, due to their family being the smallest and youngest of their tribe's families.
Three Miracles – Before Gidon commits to battle, he is given three different signs. When Shaul leaves Shemuel, he is told as a sign of three meetings he will have.
Battle Preparations and Tactics – Both Shaul and Gidon send out messengers to collect soldiers to fight. They then split their army into three sections, and hit the enemy camp in a coordinated attack at a specific hour.
Post-Battle Conflict – Following the battle, the men of Efraim complain to Gidon, but he manages to pacify them without any deaths. Following Shaul's battle, their is an attempt to kill anyone opposed to Shaul, but Shaul also avoids killing.
Kingship Offer – As a result of the victory, an offer is made to both Gidon and Shaul to make them a king over Israel.
Gidon's Battle and Shaul's Battle at Michmas
The Nation Hides – In both stories, the Israelites hide from the enemy in various caves and other inaccessible places.
The Army Arrives and Leaves – Gidon blows a shofar and summons an army. Once they arrive, the fearful are dismissed to Gilad, and following a winnowing process, only three hundred elite soldiers are left, and the rest are sent back home. Shaul also blows a shofar, calling the army to him. He chooses his army, dismissing the rest, but the fearful escape to Gilad, leaving only six hundred soldiers.
The Enemy – Both the Midianites and the Pelishtim are described as having huge armies.
Battle Tactics – Gidon and Shaul make use of confusion in the enemy's ranks, causing the enemy to turn on itself. The enemy is then chased by reinforcements summoned from Mount Efraim.
Bread During Pursuit – Following a lengthy pursuit, with his army tired, Gidon attempts to secure bread for his people, but is refused. While pursuing the Pelishtim, Shaul prohibits his army from eating bread, causing them to become tired.
Avimelekh and Shaul
Destruction of Competitors – Avimelekh kills all seventy of his brothers, who might have competed with him to inherit Gidon's leadership, with only the youngest son, Yotam, escaping. Shaul orders the death of all the priests of Nov, whom he thought supported David, with only the son of Achimelekh, Evyatar, escaping.
Rebuke from the Mountain – After escaping, Yotam stands on top of Mount Gerizim, and calls out to Avimelekh's cronies, Ba'alei Shekhem, accusing them of ingratitude. While escaping, David calls out to Shaul and his followers from the top of the mountain, asking them why Shaul hunts him.
Death – During his last battle, Avimelekh is hit by an enemy projectile. He then asks his arms-bearer to stab him, to prevent him from a worse fate (being killed by a woman). After his death, his followers depart. During Shaul's last battle, he is hit by the enemy archers. He then asks his arms-bearer to kill him, to prevent him from a worse fate (being tortured by the Pelishtim). After his death, his followers flee.
Literary Allusions
Gidon and the Early Stages of Shaul's Career
The Prophet's Speech – Before Gidon's appointment, an unnamed prophet speaks to the Israelites, mentioning how Hashem took them out of Egypt and saved them from their enemies. Before Shaul's crowning, Shemuel speaks to the nation using almost identical language.
Gidon's Battle and Shaul's Battle at Michmas
Sending to the Tents – Both Gidon and Shaul select their elite soldiers, sending the rest back to their tents ("שִׁלַּח אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו").
Size of Enemy Army – Both the Midianites and the Pelishhtim are described as being as many as the sand ("כַּחוֹל שֶׁעַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹב").
Enemy Turning on Itself – During the battle, both the Midianite and the Pelishtim camps are described as killing each other with the phrase "חֶרֶב אִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ".
Avimelekh and Shaul
Bad Spirit – Both Avimelekh and Shaul are affected by a bad spirit ("רוּחַ רָעָה") sent by Hashem.
Rebuke from the Mountain – Both Yotam and David stand ("וַיַּעֲמֹד") on top of a mountain ("בְּרֹאשׁ הַר" / "עַל רֹאשׁ הָהָר") and call out ("וַיִּקְרָא").
Death – Avimelekh and Shaul both ask their arms-bearer ("נֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו") to unsheathe their sword ("שְׁלֹף חַרְבְּךָ") and stab them ("וַיִּדְקְרֵהוּ" / "וְדׇקְרֵנִי").
Analysis
Degree of similarity –
Distinctive phrases –
Gidon's Battle and Shaul's Battle at Michmas – The phrases "sent back to their tents" ("שִׁלַּח אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו") and "man's sword in his fellow" ("חֶרֶב אִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ") appear only in these stories.1 The phrase "as many as sand on the sea shore" ("כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל / שֶׁעַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹב"), while not unique, is also found only rarely.2
Avimelekh and Shaul – The term "bad spirit" ("רוּחַ רָעָה"), the phrase "standing" ("וַיַּעֲמֹד") on "top of a mountain" ("בְּרֹאשׁ הַר" / "עַל רֹאשׁ הָהָר"), and the request "שְׁלֹף חַרְבְּךָ" appear only in these stories. The term arms-bearer ("נֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו") and the verb stab (דקר) are also found only rarely in Tanakh.3
