שופטים, פרק ו׳, פסוק ג׳

The agricultural efforts of the Israelites became an easy target for constant plunder by desert tribes. This was not an isolated incident but a repeated pattern. Whenever the crops were already planted and beginning to grow, the invaders would strike [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The constant threat and distress caused by Midian led most of the nation to abandon farming entirely. The situation was so severe that even if a single farmer dared to plant his field, the enemies would immediately arrive to ruin his harvest [חומת אנך].

These invaders, including Midian, Amalek, and the people of the East, were nomadic tribes roaming the desert regions between the Arabian Peninsula and Syria. Time and again, they would push into the settled land to exploit the weakness of the Israelites [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

When these enemies launched their invasions, their primary goal was not a general war against the people. Instead, their attacks were directly targeted at the planting itself. They raided the land with the specific intention of taking over the agricultural yield [מלבי״ם].