Judges 7:2

Judges 7:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
• New International Version (NIV)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 has saved me.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

Context of Judges 7:2

1Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained. 4Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

Judges 7:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־גִּדְע֔וֹן רַ֗ב הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֔ךְ מִתִּתִּ֥י אֶת־מִדְיָ֖ן בְּיָדָ֑ם פֶּן־יִתְפָּאֵ֨ר עָלַ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יָדִ֖י הוֹשִׁ֥יעָה לִּֽי׃Read the interlinear

• Then the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• You haveאֵת'êth · withH854
• too manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• menעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• for Me to deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• into their handsיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• lestפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• glorify themselvesפָּאַרpâ'ar · to beautifyH6286
• over Meעַל‛al · uponH5921
• has savedיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467

Cross-references for Judges 7:2

• 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
• 2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”
• Zechariah 4:6So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
• Zechariah 12:7The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
• 1 Corinthians 2:4My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
• 2 Corinthians 4:7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
• 2 Corinthians 10:4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
• Deuteronomy 32:27if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’”
• Isaiah 2:11The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
• Jeremiah 9:23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
• Romans 3:27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
• Romans 11:18do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:29so that no one may boast in His presence.
• Ephesians 2:9not by works, so that no one can boast.
• James 4:6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Commentaries on Judges 7:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The people that are with thee are too many - Had he led up a numerous host against his enemies, the excellence of the power by which they were discomfited might have appeared to be of man and not of God. By the manner in which this whole transaction was conducted, both the Israelites and Midianites must see that the thing was of God. This would inspire the Israelites with confidence, and the Midianites with fear.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The Lord does not need a large army to save his people (compare 1 Samuel 14:6). A large army might have hindered success because surprise was crucial to the Lord’s plan. Gideon reduced the army to keep humility, not for military strategy.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. the Lord said unto Gideon, The people ... are too many--Although the Israelitish army mustered only thirty-two thousand (or one-sixth of the Midianitish host), the number was too great, for it was the Lord's purpose to teach Israel a memorable lesson of dependence on Him.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Gideon
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Harod
• Lap
• Midianite
• Moreh, the Hill of

Commentaries on Judges 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings