Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NET

Judges 6-7
New English Translation

Oppression and Confrontation

6 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight,[a] so the Lord turned them over to[b] Midian for seven years. 2 The Midianites[c] overwhelmed Israel.[d] Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters[e] for themselves in the hills, caves, and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops,[f] the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them.[g] 4 They invaded the land[h] and devoured[i] its crops[j] all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat,[k] and they took away[l] the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 5 When they invaded[m] with their cattle and tents, they were as thick[n] as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted.[o] They came to devour[p] the land. 6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 8 the Lord sent a prophet[q] to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I brought you up from Egypt[r] and took you out of that place of slavery.[s] 9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power[t] and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship[u] the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living.” But you have disobeyed me.’”[v]

Gideon Meets Some Visitors

11 The angel of the Lord[w] came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon[x] was threshing[y] wheat in a winepress[z] so he could hide it from the Midianites.[aa] 12 The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me,[ab] but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster[ac] overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said,[ad] ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 14 Then the Lord himself[ae] turned to him and said, “You have the strength.[af] Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites![ag] Have I not sent you?” 15 Gideon[ah] said to him, “But Lord,[ai] how[aj] can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.”[ak] 16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but[al] I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.”[am] 17 Gideon[an] said to him, “If you really are pleased with me,[ao] then give me[ap] a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 18 Do not leave this place until I come back[aq] with a gift[ar] and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat,[as] along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food[at] to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 20 God’s angel said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock,[au] and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed.[av] 21 The angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff.[aw] Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The angel of the Lord then disappeared.[ax]

22 When Gideon realized[ay] that it was the angel of the Lord, he[az] said, “Oh no![ba] Sovereign Lord![bb] I have seen the angel of the Lord face-to-face!” 23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe![bc] Do not be afraid. You are not going to die!” 24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.”[bd] To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon Destroys the Altar

25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old.[be] Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern.[bf] Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants[bg] and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family[bh] and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime.[bi]

28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw[bj] the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 29 They said to one another,[bk] “Who did this?”[bl] They investigated the matter thoroughly[bm] and concluded[bn] that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him![bo] He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him,[bp] “Must you fight Baal’s battles?[bq] Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause[br] will die by morning![bs] If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles![bt] After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.”[bu] 32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub Baal,[bv] because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”

Gideon Summons an Army and Seeks Confirmation

33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east[bw] assembled. They crossed the Jordan River[bx] and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 34 The Lord’s Spirit took control of[by] Gideon. He blew a trumpet,[bz] summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.[ca] 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well.[cb] He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.

36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel,[cc] as you promised, then give me a sign as proof.[cd] 37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it[ce] is dry, then I will be sure[cf] that you will use me to deliver Israel,[cg] as you promised.” 38 The Lord did as he asked.[ch] When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl.[ci] 39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign.[cj] Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.”[ck] 40 That night God did as he asked.[cl] Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Gideon Reduces the Ranks

7 Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men[cm] got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod.[cn] The Midianites[co] were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you.[cp] Israel might brag,[cq] ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’[cr] 3 Now, announce to the men,[cs] ‘Whoever is shaking with fear[ct] may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’”[cu] 22,000 men[cv] went home;[cw] 10,000 remained. 4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men.[cx] Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more.[cy] When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go;[cz] when I say,[da] ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.”[db] 5 So he brought the men[dc] down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.”[dd] 6 Only 300 men lapped with their hands to their mouths;[de] the rest of the men[df] kneeled to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will deliver the whole army[dg] and I will hand Midian over to you.[dh] The rest of the men should go home.”[di] 8 The men[dj] who were chosen[dk] took supplies[dl] and their trumpets. Gideon[dm] sent all the men of Israel back to their homes;[dn] he kept only 300 men. Now the Midianites[do] were camped down below[dp] in the valley.

Gideon Reassured of Victory

9 That night the Lord said to Gideon,[dq] “Get up! Attack[dr] the camp, for I am handing it over to you.[ds] 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave[dt] and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp.[du] 12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts.[dv] Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had.[dw] The man[dx] said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw[dy] a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.”[dz] 14 The other man said,[ea] “Without a doubt this symbolizes[eb] the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”

Gideon Routs the Enemy

15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God.[ec] Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 16 He divided the 300 men into three units.[ed] He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them.[ee] 17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely![ef] I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

19 Gideon took 100 men to the edge of the camp[eg] at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying.[eh] 20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right.[ei] Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 They stood in order[ej] all around the camp. The whole Midianite[ek] army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away.[el] 22 When the 300 men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords[em] throughout[en] the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went[eo] to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites.[ep]

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites.[eq] Take control of the fords of the streams[er] all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.”[es] When all the Ephraimites had assembled,[et] they took control of the fords[eu] all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb.[ev] They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb[ew] in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites[ex] and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River.[ey]

Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:1 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  2. Judges 6:1 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
  3. Judges 6:2 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
  4. Judges 6:2 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
  5. Judges 6:2 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
  6. Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
  7. Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (veʿalu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ʿalayv).
  8. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
  9. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “destroyed.”
  10. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
  11. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
  12. Judges 6:4 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  13. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “came up.”
  14. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “numerous.”
  15. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
  16. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
  17. Judges 6:8 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
  18. Judges 6:8 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (meʾerets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
  19. Judges 6:8 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
  20. Judges 6:9 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
  21. Judges 6:10 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
  22. Judges 6:10 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
  23. Judges 6:11 sn The angel of the Lord is also mentioned in Judg 2:1.
  24. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son….” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
  25. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “beating out.”
  26. Judges 6:11 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
  27. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “Midian.”
  28. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “But my lord.”
  29. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “all this.”
  30. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “saying.”
  31. Judges 6:14 tc The LXX reads “the angel of the Lord” here and in v. 16. The translation follows the MT and adds “himself” to draw attention to the change. sn Some interpreters equate the Lord and the messenger in this story. Since the messenger represents the Lord, perhaps when the Lord is mentioned in vv. 14 and 16 it means so indirectly, while Gideon’s direct encounter is with the angel. Indicators that the Lord and the angel of the Lord are distinct include: 1) the Hebrew text says only “Lord” in vv. 14 and 16; 2) in verse 16 the speaker in the Hebrew text says “I will be with you” referring to the Lord (but see the note at v. 16); 3) Gideon addresses the angel as ‎אֲדֹנִי (ʾadoni, “my lord”) but the Lord as אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay, “my Lord”); 4) in vv. 22-23 the Lord and Gideon continue to carry on a conversation after the messenger has vanished (v. 21). On the other hand, if the Lord was present, appearing visibly in human form (called a theophany), as implied by “turning” [his head] to Gideon, why would Gideon not be more fearful at the end of the story for having seen God rather than his angel? The story could be pictured as an exchange with the angel followed by calling out to the Lord in prayer. The translation assumes that the angel and the Lord are distinct in the conversation, but the matter is difficult.
  32. Judges 6:14 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
  33. Judges 6:14 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
  34. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  35. Judges 6:15 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (ʾadoni, “my lord”) in v. 13.
  36. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “with what.”
  37. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
  38. Judges 6:16 tn Or “certainly.”
  39. Judges 6:16 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
  40. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
  42. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “perform for me.”
  43. Judges 6:18 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  44. Judges 6:18 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
  45. Judges 6:19 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
  46. Judges 6:19 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  47. Judges 6:20 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
  48. Judges 6:20 tn Heb “and he did so.”
  49. Judges 6:21 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
  50. Judges 6:21 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
  51. Judges 6:22 tn Heb “saw.”
  52. Judges 6:22 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  53. Judges 6:22 tn Or “Ah!”
  54. Judges 6:22 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (ʾadonay yehvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15], Lord”).
  55. Judges 6:23 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
  56. Judges 6:24 tn Heb “The Lord is peace.” Gideon’s name for the altar plays on the Lord’s reassuring words to him, “Peace to you.”
  57. Judges 6:25 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
  58. Judges 6:26 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
  59. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
  60. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “house.”
  61. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
  62. Judges 6:28 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
  63. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
  64. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “this thing.”
  65. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
  66. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
  67. Judges 6:30 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
  68. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
  69. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
  70. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “fights for him.”
  71. Judges 6:31 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
  72. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
  73. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
  74. Judges 6:32 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight” or “Let Baal defend himself.”
  75. Judges 6:33 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
  76. Judges 6:33 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  77. Judges 6:34 tn Heb “clothed.”
  78. Judges 6:34 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
  79. Judges 6:34 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
  80. Judges 6:35 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
  81. Judges 6:36 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
  82. Judges 6:36 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  83. Judges 6:37 tn Heb “and on all the ground.”
  84. Judges 6:37 tn Or “know.”
  85. Judges 6:37 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
  86. Judges 6:38 tn Heb “And it was so.”
  87. Judges 6:38 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece—a bowl full of water.”
  88. Judges 6:39 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
  89. Judges 6:39 tn Heb “Let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
  90. Judges 6:40 tn Heb “God did so that night.”
  91. Judges 7:1 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him.”
  92. Judges 7:1 sn The name Harod means, ironically, “trembling.”
  93. Judges 7:1 tn Heb “Midian.” The LXX reads “and Amalek” (cf. v. 12; 6:33).
  94. Judges 7:2 tn Heb “the people who are with you are too numerous for me to give Midian into their hand.”
  95. Judges 7:2 tn Heb “might glorify itself against me.”
  96. Judges 7:2 tn Heb “my hand has delivered me.”
  97. Judges 7:3 tn Heb “call into the ears of the people.”
  98. Judges 7:3 tn Heb “afraid and shaking.”
  99. Judges 7:3 tc Many interpreters reject the MT reading “and leave Mount Gilead” for geographical reasons. A possible alternative, involving rather radical emendation of the Hebrew text, would be, “So Gideon tested them” (i.e., thinned the ranks in this manner).
  100. Judges 7:3 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because warriors are in view, and in ancient Israelite culture these would be only males. (This is also the case in vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)
  101. Judges 7:3 tn Or “turned around, back.”
  102. Judges 7:4 tn Heb “too many people.”
  103. Judges 7:4 tn Heb “test them for you there.”
  104. Judges 7:4 tn Heb “he should go with you.”
  105. Judges 7:4 tn Heb also has “about anyone to you.”
  106. Judges 7:4 tn Heb “he should not go.”
  107. Judges 7:5 tn Heb “the people.”
  108. Judges 7:5 tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”
  109. Judges 7:6 tc The Hebrew phrase, “with their hands to their mouths.” is difficult in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would presumably use their hands). The words “with their hands to their mouths” may have been misplaced. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place. But on the other hand since the 300 men were the men selected for the army, lapping with their hands to their mouth would allow them to see their surroundings which would be a good procedure for a soldier. The kneelers were sent away presumably because they made themselves more vulnerable to enemy attack.
  110. Judges 7:6 tn Heb “the people.”
  111. Judges 7:7 tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.
  112. Judges 7:7 tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.
  113. Judges 7:7 tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”
  114. Judges 7:8 tn Heb “The people.”
  115. Judges 7:8 tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  116. Judges 7:8 tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”
  117. Judges 7:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  118. Judges 7:8 tn Heb “tents.”
  119. Judges 7:8 tn Heb “Midian.”
  120. Judges 7:8 tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).
  121. Judges 7:9 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  122. Judges 7:9 tn Heb “Go down against.”
  123. Judges 7:9 tn The Hebrew verbal form is a perfect, emphasizing the certainty of the promise.
  124. Judges 7:11 tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”
  125. Judges 7:11 tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”
  126. Judges 7:12 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”
  127. Judges 7:13 tn Heb “And Gideon came, and, look, a man was relating to his friend a dream.”
  128. Judges 7:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  129. Judges 7:13 tn Heb “Look!” The repetition of this interjection, while emphatic in Hebrew, would be redundant in the English translation.
  130. Judges 7:13 tn Heb “It came to the tent and struck it and it fell. It turned it upside down and the tent fell.”
  131. Judges 7:14 tn Heb “answered and said.”
  132. Judges 7:14 tn Heb “This can be nothing but.”
  133. Judges 7:15 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
  134. Judges 7:16 tn Heb “heads.”
  135. Judges 7:16 tn Heb “the jars.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn They hid the torches inside the earthenware jars to disguise their approach and to keep the torches from being extinguished by the breeze.
  136. Judges 7:17 tn Or “look.”
  137. Judges 7:19 tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the 100 men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”
  138. Judges 7:19 tn Heb “that were in their hands.”
  139. Judges 7:20 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  140. Judges 7:21 tn Heb “each in his place.”
  141. Judges 7:21 tn “Midianite” has been supplied here for clarity.
  142. Judges 7:21 tn Or “fled.”
  143. Judges 7:22 tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”
  144. Judges 7:22 tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.
  145. Judges 7:22 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  146. Judges 7:23 tn Heb “Midian.”
  147. Judges 7:24 tn Heb “to meet Midian.”
  148. Judges 7:24 tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”
  149. Judges 7:24 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).
  150. Judges 7:24 tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”
  151. Judges 7:24 tn Heb “they captured the waters.”
  152. Judges 7:25 sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.
  153. Judges 7:25 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  154. Judges 7:25 tn Heb “Midian.”
  155. Judges 7:25 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).
Listen to Judges 6-7
Close NIV

Judges 6-7
New International Version

Gideon

6 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(A) and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.(B) 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,(C) the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves(D) and strongholds.(E) 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites(F) and other eastern peoples(G) invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops(H) all the way to Gaza(I) and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts.(J) It was impossible to count them or their camels;(K) they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out(L) to the Lord for help.

7 When the Israelites cried out(M) to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet,(N) who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt,(O) out of the land of slavery.(P) 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors;(Q) I drove them out before you and gave you their land.(R) 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship(S) the gods of the Amorites,(T) in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

11 The angel of the Lord(U) came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah(V) that belonged to Joash(W) the Abiezrite,(X) where his son Gideon(Y) was threshing(Z) wheat in a winepress(AA) to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,(AB) mighty warrior.(AC)”

13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders(AD) that our ancestors told(AE) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned(AF) us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have(AG) and save(AH) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan(AI) is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.(AJ)”

16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you(AK), and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign(AL) that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

19 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat,(AM) and from an ephah[a](AN) of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.(AO)

20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock,(AP) and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread(AQ) with the tip of the staff(AR) that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized(AS) that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”(AT)

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.(AU) You are not going to die.”(AV)

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called(AW) it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah(AX) of the Abiezrites.

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.[b] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole[c](AY) beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of[d] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second[e] bull as a burnt offering.(AZ)”

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

28 In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar,(BA) demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

29 They asked each other, “Who did this?”

When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash(BB) did it.”

30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar(BC) and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause?(BD) Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal[f](BE) that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites(BF) and other eastern peoples(BG) joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.(BH) 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on(BI) Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,(BJ) summoning the Abiezrites(BK) to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,(BL) Zebulun and Naphtali,(BM) so that they too went up to meet them.(BN)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save(BO) Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece(BP) on the threshing floor.(BQ) If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know(BR) that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request.(BS) Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.(BT)

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

7 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal(BU) (that is, Gideon(BV)) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.(BW) The camp of Midian(BX) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.(BY) 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength(BZ) has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.(CA)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many(CB) men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them(CC) drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.(CD) Let all the others go home.”(CE) 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.(CF) 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites(CG) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.(CH) Their camels(CI) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.(CJ)

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash,(CK) the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.(CL) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”(CM) 16 Dividing the three hundred men(CN) into three companies,(CO) he placed trumpets(CP) and empty jars(CQ) in the hands of all of them, with torches(CR) inside.

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets,(CS) then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars(CT) that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches(CU) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword(CV) for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.(CW)

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded,(CX) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other(CY) with their swords.(CZ) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah(DA) near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher(DB) and all Manasseh were called out,(DC) and they pursued the Midianites.(DD) 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan(DE) ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb(DF). They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,(DG) and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites(DH) and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.(DI)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:19 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  2. Judges 6:25 Or Take a full-grown, mature bull from your father’s herd
  3. Judges 6:25 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; also in verses 26, 28 and 30
  4. Judges 6:26 Or build with layers of stone an
  5. Judges 6:26 Or full-grown; also in verse 28
  6. Judges 6:32 Jerub-Baal probably means let Baal contend.
Next
Judges 5
Judges 8
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV