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

1Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops who were with him, got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’ 3Now announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained. 4Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• The peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• too manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• for me to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• the Midianitesמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• into their handsיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• lest Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• vauntפָּאַרpâ'ar · to beautifyH6286
• hath savedיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467

Cross-references for Judges 7:2

• 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
• 2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “Lord, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on you, and in your name we have come against this large army. Lord, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you.”
• Zechariah 4:6So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.
• Zechariah 12:7The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of David’s house and the glory of Jerusalem’s residents may not be greater than that of Judah.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
• 1 Corinthians 2:4My speech 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 clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.
• 2 Corinthians 10:4since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments
• Deuteronomy 32:27if I had not feared provocation from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say, ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the Lord who did all this.’”
• Isaiah 2:11The pride of mankind will be humbled, and human loftiness will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
• Jeremiah 9:23“‘This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.
• Romans 3:27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith.
• Romans 11:18do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast — you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:29so that no one may boast in his presence.
• Ephesians 2:9not from works, so that no one can boast.
• James 4:6But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists 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