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

1And Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, arose early, and all the people that were with him, and they encamped beside the spring Harod; and he had the camp of Midian on the north by the hill of Moreh in the valley. And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3And now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is timid and afraid, let him go back and turn from mount Gilead. And there went back of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4And Jehovah said to Gideon, Still the people are many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there, and it shall be, that of whom I shall say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I shall say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same 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

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• lestפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• savedיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467

Cross-references for Judges 7:2

• 1 Samuel 14:6And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: perhaps Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.
• 2 Chronicles 14:11And Asa cried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, it maketh no difference to thee to help, whether there be much or no power: help us, O Jehovah our God, for we rely on thee, and in thy name have we come against this multitude. Jehovah, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
• Zechariah 4:6And he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.
• Zechariah 12:7And Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified over Judah.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;
• 1 Corinthians 2:4and my word and my preaching, not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of [the] Spirit and of power;
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God, and not from us:
• 2 Corinthians 10:4For the arms of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful according to God to [the] overthrow of strongholds;
• Deuteronomy 32:27If I did not fear provocation from the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand it, Lest they should say, Our hand is high, and Jehovah has not done all this.
• Isaiah 2:11The lofty eyes of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.
• Jeremiah 9:23Thus saith Jehovah: Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might; let not the rich glory in his riches:
• Romans 3:27Where then [is] boasting? It has been excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by law of faith;
• Romans 11:18boast not against the branches; but if thou boast, [it is] not thou bearest the root, but the root thee.
• 1 Corinthians 1:29so that no flesh should boast before God.
• Ephesians 2:9not on the principle of works, that no one might boast.
• James 4:6But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God sets himself against [the] proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly.

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
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• 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