Judges 7:3

Judges 7:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
• New International Version (NIV)Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.

Context of Judges 7:3

1Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2The 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.' Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.'" Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. 4And 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." 5So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, "Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink."

Judges 7:3 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה קְרָ֨א נָ֜א בְּאָזְנֵ֤י הָעָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מִֽי־יָרֵ֣א וְחָרֵ֔ד יָשֹׁ֥ב וְיִצְפֹּ֖ר מֵהַ֣ר הַגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיָּ֣שָׁב מִן־הָעָ֗ם עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔לֶף וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים נִשְׁאָֽרוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore go toנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• proclaimקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• in the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• of the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• fearfulיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
• and afraidחָרֵדchârêd · tremblingH2730
• let him returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• and depart earlyצָפַרtsâphar · to departH6852
• from mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · (Mount) GileadH1568
• twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• and there remainedשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235

Cross-references for Judges 7:3

• Deuteronomy 20:8And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.'
• Matthew 13:21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
• Luke 14:25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
• Revelation 17:14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
• Revelation 21:8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
• Matthew 20:16So the last will be first, and the first last."

Commentaries on Judges 7:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return - from Mount Gilead - Gideon was certainly not at Mount Gilead at this time, but rather near Mount Gilboa. Gilead was on the other side of Jordan. Calmet thinks there must either have been two Gileads, which does not from the Scripture appear to be the case, or that the Hebrew text is here corrupted, and that for Gilead we should read Gilboa. This reading, though adopted by Houbigant, is not countenanced by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The proclamation was in accordance with the Law (see the marginal reference). No mountain of the name of Gilead is known in this locality, and it has been conjectured that the right reading is Gilboa. Others think that this may be a form of proclamation customary in Manasseh.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The first reduction identified those who were initially enthusiastic but later reconsidered.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Now therefore ..., proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful ... let him return--This proclamation was in terms of an established law (De 20:8).Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 7:3

• Armies
• Cowardice
• Gilead
• Soldiers

In the dictionaries

• Gilead
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Gideon
• 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