Judges 6:31

Judges 6:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
• New International Version (NIV)But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”

Context of Judges 6:31

29They asked each other, ‘Who has done this?’ They asked many people until someone told them, ‘Joash's son Gideon has done this.’ 30Then the men of the town said to Joash, ‘Bring Gideon out of your house. We must punish him with death. He has destroyed Baal's altar, and he has cut down the Asherah pole that was beside it.’ Joash said to the angry men who were against him, ‘Are you trying to save Baal because he is in trouble? Why should you do that? Anyone who tries to help Baal will die before tomorrow arrives. If Baal really is a god, he should fight for himself. It is his altar that someone has pulled down!’ 32So after that, people called Gideon ‘Jerub-Baal’. That was because Joash had said, ‘Baal should fight for himself. He himself should punish the person who pulled down his altar.’ 33At that time, the Midianites, Amalekites and people of the east made an agreement to fight together. They crossed the Jordan River and they made their camp in the Jezreel valley.

Judges 6:31 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יוֹאָ֡שׁ לְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָמְד֨וּ עָלָ֜יו הַאַתֶּ֣ם׀ תְּרִיב֣וּן לַבַּ֗עַל אִם־אַתֶּם֙ תּוֹשִׁיע֣וּן אוֹת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֥יב ל֛וֹ יוּמַ֖ת עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר אִם־אֱלֹהִ֥ים הוּא֙ יָ֣רֶב ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י נָתַ֖ץ אֶֽת־מִזְבְּחֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Joashיוֹאָשׁyô'âsh yô'âsh · JoashH3101
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto all that stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• against him, Will ye pleadרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
• for Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
• will ye saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• for him, let him be put to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• a godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath cast downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
• his altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196

Cross-references for Judges 6:31

• Exodus 23:2Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says.
• Numbers 14:6Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, were two of the men who had explored the land. They were very upset and they tore their clothes.
• Ephesians 5:11People whose minds are in the dark do things that have no good purpose. Keep away from wrong things like that. Instead, show how bad those things really are.
• Deuteronomy 13:5You must punish that false prophet with death. He has told you to turn against the Lord your God. The Lord rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. But the false prophet has tried to turn you away from the way of life that the Lord your God has commanded. So you must remove all evil things like that from among you.
• Deuteronomy 17:2The Lord your God will give you towns to live in. You may hear that a man or a woman who lives in one of your towns has done a bad thing. He has done a sin that is against the covenant of the Lord your God.
• 1 Kings 18:40Then Elijah said, ‘Take hold of Baal's prophets! Do not let any of them run away!’ So they caught them. Then Elijah took the prophets down to the Kishon Valley. There, he punished them with death.
• 1 Kings 18:27At noon, Elijah began to laugh at them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘He is a god, isn't he? Maybe he is thinking about something else! Or has he left the room for a moment? Maybe he has gone away from home on a journey. Or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him up!’
• Psalms 115:4Those people's idols are made from silver and gold. Yes, human hands make them!
• Isaiah 41:23If they can tell us what will happen in future years, we will know that they really are gods. Tell them to do something, a good thing or a bad thing. That would really surprise us, or even frighten us!
• Isaiah 46:1Bel bends down to the ground. Nebo lies down low. Their images are heavy loads on the backs of animals. The animals become tired and weak as they carry them away.
• Jeremiah 10:5Those idols cannot speak. They are like scarecrows that a farmer puts in his field of vegetables. The idols cannot walk, so people have to carry them. So do not be afraid of them. They cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.’
• 1 Corinthians 8:4So think about food that people have offered to idols. You ask, ‘Should Christians eat that food?’ We know that no idol is really alive. We also know that there is only one God.

Commentaries on Judges 6:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Will ye plead for Baal? - The words are very emphatic "Will ye plead in earnest תריבן for Baal? Will ye תושיען really save him? If he be God, אלהים Elohim, let him contend for himself, seeing his altar is thrown down." The paragogic letters in the words plead and save greatly increase the sense. Joash could not slay his son; but he was satisfied he had insulted Baal: if Baal were the true God, he would avenge his own injured honor. This was a sentiment…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31From the boldness of Joash in defending his son, it is likely that the majority of the Abi-ezrites sided with him against “the men of the city,” and already felt drawn toward Gideon as their national and religious leader Judges 6:34. Joash appears as the chief magistrate of Ophrah. Will ye plead … ? will ye save? - The emphasis is upon ye, as much as to say, What business is it of yours?Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-32Verses 25-32 See the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great Sacrifice, no good is to be expected…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31Gideon's father, Joash, was the first to follow Gideon's leadership. He left Baal for the Lord, even though he was the keeper of the Baal shrine.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-3224-32. it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him--The transaction in which Gideon is here described as engaged was not entered on till the night after the vision.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 6:31

• Baal
• Courage
• Decision
• Iconoclasm
• Idolatry
• Joash
• Judge
• Persecution
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Baal
• God
• Joash
• Den
• Gideon
• Midianite
• Mighty
• Sign
• Wherewith
• Wring

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