‘ And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him, and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.'
Gideon now issued the call to the nearest tribes to assist him in his coming war. ‘Manasseh' probably means the half-tribe on this side of Jordan. The others were very much connected with the invasions of the Midianites and their allies. Issachar was probably seen as included in Zebulun as earlier. All responded to the call.