English Standard Version
Judges 7:13
13When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat."
Judges 7:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
- New International Version (NIV)Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”
Context of Judges 7:13
11And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat." 14And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp." 15As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand."
Read all of Judges 7Judges 7:13 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֣א גִדְע֔וֹן וְהִ֨נֵּה־אִ֔ישׁ מְסַפֵּ֥ר לְרֵעֵ֖הוּ חֲל֑וֹם וַיֹּ֜אמֶר הִנֵּ֧ה חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֗מְתִּי וְהִנֵּ֨ה צְלִ֜יל לֶ֤חֶם שְׂעֹרִים֙ מִתְהַפֵּךְ֙ בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה מִדְיָ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א עַד־הָ֠אֹהֶל וַיַּכֵּ֧הוּ וַיִּפֹּ֛ל וַיַּהַפְכֵ֥הוּ לְמַ֖עְלָה וְנָפַ֥ל הָאֹֽהֶל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
- was comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that toldסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
- unto his fellowרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Behold, I dreamedחָלַםchâlam · to dreamH2492
- and, lo, a cakeצְלִילtselûl · cakeH6742
- of barleyשְׂעֹרָהώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôr ώe‛ôr · barleyH8184
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- tumbledהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- into the hostמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
- unto a tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
- and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- it that it fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- and overturnedמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
Cross-references for Judges 7:13
- Judges 3:15Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
- Judges 4:9And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
- Judges 6:15And he said to him, "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
- Isaiah 41:14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Commentaries on Judges 7:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Told a dream - Both the dream and the interpretation were inspired by God for the purpose of increasing the confidence of Gideon, and appalling his enemies.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13A cake of barley bread - i. e. such a cake as could hardly be eaten by men, it was so vile: a term expressive of the contempt of the Midianites for the people of Israel. A tent - The tent, meaning, probably, the tent of the king of Midian, or of the captain of the host.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 The dream seemed to have little meaning in it; but the interpretation evidently proved the whole to be from the Lord, and discovered that the name of Gideon had filled the Midianites with terror. Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success; without delay he worshipped and praised God, and returned with confidence to his three hundred men. Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that which encourages…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14People in Egypt and Babylonia often talked about dreams and their meanings. The Old Testament says God inspires dreams, and they are best understood through his guidance (see Genesis 41:15–16, 25; Daniel 2:28). The message of this dream is clear: Gideon's group, symbolized by a round loaf of barley bread, would roll down and defeat the Midianite camp.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian--This was a characteristic and very expressive dream for an Arab in the circumstances. The rolling down the hill, striking against the tents, and overturning them, naturally enough connected it in his mind with the position and meditated attack of the Israelitish leader. The circumstance of the cake, too, was very significant. Barley was usually the food of the poor…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 7:13
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries