Judges 6:1

Judges 6:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
• New International Version (NIV)The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

Context of Judges 6:1

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years, 2and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east came and attacked them.

Judges 6:1 word by word

וַיַּעֲשׂ֧וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֧ם יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• deliveredנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141

Cross-references for Judges 6:1

• Judges 2:13for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
• Leviticus 26:14“But if you do not obey me and observe all these commands —
• Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all his commands and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you:
• Nehemiah 9:26But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.
• Psalms 106:34They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them
• Genesis 25:2and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
• Numbers 25:17“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.
• Habakkuk 3:7I see the tents of Cushan in distress; the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.

Commentaries on Judges 6:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Delivered them unto the hand of Midian - The Midianites were among the most ancient and inveterate of the enemies of Israel. They joined with the Moabites to seduce them to idolatry, and were nearly extirpated by them; Numbers 31:1-12. The Midianites dwelt on the eastern borders of the Dead Sea, and their capital was Arnon.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Midian - See Genesis 25:2 note. They were remarkable not only for the vast number of their cattle Judges 6:5; Numbers 31:32-39, but also for their great wealth in gold and other metal ornaments, showing their connection with a gold country. (Compare Numbers 31:22, Numbers 31:50-54, with Judges 8:24:26.) At this time they were allies of the Amalekites and of the Arabian tribes called collectively “the children of the East” Judges 6:3. They seem to have…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Israel oppressed by Midianites. (1-6) Israel rebuked by a prophet. (7-10) Gideon set to deliver Israel. (11-24) Gideon destroys Baal's altar. (25-32) Signs given him. (33-40) Verses 1-6 Israel's sin was renewed, and Israel's troubles were repeated. Let all that sin expect to suffer. The Israelites hid themselves in dens and caves; such was the effect of a guilty conscience. Sin dispirits men. The invaders left no food for Israel, except what was taken…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6After forty years of peace, religious blending caused political instability, and roaming nomads forced the Israelites to live as fugitives. The Midianites, once thought to be purely nomadic and based in northwest Arabia, are now known to have built cities and, for a time, controlled much of the Arabian Peninsula and southern Transjordan (the area east of the Jordan). They are joined by the Amalekites (who were earlier part of a Moabite coalition; see…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-61. and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian--Untaught by their former experiences, the Israelites again apostatized, and new sins were followed by fresh judgments. Midian had sustained a severe blow in the time of Moses (Nu 31:1-18); and the memory of that disaster, no doubt, inflamed their resentment against the Israelites. They were wandering herdsmen, called "children of the East," from their occupying the territory east of the Red Sea…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Midian
• Midian; Midianites
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Midian, Midianite
• Children of Israel
• Den
• Gideon
• God

Commentaries on Judges 6

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings