Judges 7:3

Judges 7:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
• New International Version (NIV)Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.'" Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

Context of Judges 7:3

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. 2Then 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.’ Now, 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.” 5So Gideon brought the men down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”

Judges 7:3 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה קְרָ֨א נָ֜א בְּאָזְנֵ֤י הָעָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מִֽי־יָרֵ֣א וְחָרֵ֔ד יָשֹׁ֥ב וְיִצְפֹּ֖ר מֵהַ֣ר הַגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיָּ֣שָׁב מִן־הָעָ֗ם עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔לֶף וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים נִשְׁאָֽרוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

• Nowנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• thereforeעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• proclaimקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• in the hearingאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• of the menעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• of the menאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whoeverמִיmîy · who?H4310
• is fearfulיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
• and tremblingחָרֵדchârêd · tremblingH2730
• may turn backשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• and leaveצָפַרtsâphar · to departH6852
• Mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · (Mount) GileadH1568
• So twenty-twoעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• So twenty-twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• ·מִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• but tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• remainedשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604

Cross-references for Judges 7:3

• Deuteronomy 20:8Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
• Matthew 13:21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
• Luke 14:25Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
• Revelation 17:14They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”
• Revelation 21:8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Matthew 20:16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Commentaries on Judges 7:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return - from Mount Gilead - Gideon was certainly not at Mount Gilead at this time, but rather near Mount Gilboa. Gilead was on the other side of Jordan. Calmet thinks there must either have been two Gileads, which does not from the Scripture appear to be the case, or that the Hebrew text is here corrupted, and that for Gilead we should read Gilboa. This reading, though adopted by Houbigant, is not countenanced by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The proclamation was in accordance with the Law (see the marginal reference). No mountain of the name of Gilead is known in this locality, and it has been conjectured that the right reading is Gilboa. Others think that this may be a form of proclamation customary in Manasseh.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The first reduction identified those who were initially enthusiastic but later reconsidered.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Now therefore ..., proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful ... let him return--This proclamation was in terms of an established law (De 20:8).Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 7:3

• Armies
• Cowardice
• Gilead
• Soldiers

In the dictionaries

• Gilead
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Gideon
• Harod
• Lap
• Midianite
• Moreh, the Hill of
• Abdon (1)
• Deuteronomy

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