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

1Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early, and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to hand Midian over to them, otherwise Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has saved me.’ 3Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and worried, is to return and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand from the people returned, but ten thousand remained. 4Then 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. So it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he 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

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• The peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• are with you are tooמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• for Me to handנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• for Me to handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• otherwiseפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• becomeפָּאַרpâ'ar · to beautifyH6286
• has savedיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467

Cross-references for Judges 7:2

• 1 Samuel 14:6Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come, and let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; perhaps the Lord will work for us, because the Lord is not limited to saving by many or by few!”
• 2 Chronicles 14:11Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.”
• Zechariah 4:6Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.
• Zechariah 12:7The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
• 1 Corinthians 2:4and my message and my preaching were 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 containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
• 2 Corinthians 10:4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
• Deuteronomy 32:27Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say, “Our hand is triumphant, And the Lord has not performed all this.”’
• Isaiah 2:11The proud look of humanity will be brought low, And the arrogance of people will be humbled; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
• Jeremiah 9:23This is what the Lord says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches;
• Romans 3:27Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
• Romans 11:18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:29so that no human may boast before God.
• Ephesians 2:9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
• James 4:6But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

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