Judges 7:4

Judges 7:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
• New International Version (NIV)But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many 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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' shall not go."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”

Context of Judges 7:4

2The 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. Then 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.” 5So he brought the troops down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate everyone who laps water with his tongue like a dog. Do the same with everyone who kneels to drink.” 6The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men, and all the rest of the troops knelt to drink water.

Judges 7:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־גִּדְע֗וֹן עוֹד֮ הָעָ֣ם רָב֒ הוֹרֵ֤ד אוֹתָם֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וְאֶצְרְפֶ֥נּוּ לְךָ֖ שָׁ֑ם וְהָיָ֡ה אֲשֶׁר֩ אֹמַ֨ר אֵלֶ֜יךָ זֶ֣ה׀ יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֗ךְ ה֚וּא יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֔ךְ וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־אֹמַ֜ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ זֶ֚ה לֹא־יֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא לֹ֥א יֵלֵֽךְ׃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
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• bring them downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• unto the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and I will tryצָרַףtsâraph · to refineH6884
• unto thee, This shall goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for Judges 7:4

• Psalms 33:16A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength.
• Genesis 22:1After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
• Job 23:10Yet he knows the way I have taken; when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.
• Psalms 7:9Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The one who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God.
• Psalms 66:10For you, God, tested us; you refined us as silver is refined.
• Jeremiah 6:27I have appointed you to be an assayer among my people — a refiner — so you may know and assay their way of life.
• Malachi 3:2But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s bleach.

Commentaries on Judges 7:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Try - The word used for refining metals by separating the dross from the pure ore. They who threw themselves on the ground and drank freely were the more self-indulgent; while they who, remembering the near presence of the enemy, slaked their thirst with moderation, and without being off their guard for an instant, were the true soldiers of the army of God.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-8The Lord chose those who drank from their hands instead of those who knelt. This choice seemed random, but it helped reduce the army's size.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. too many--Two reductions were ordered, the last by the application of a test which was made known to Gideon alone.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 7:4

• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

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