Judges 7:4

Judges 7:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
• New International Version (NIV)But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But 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. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”

Context of Judges 7:4

2And 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. Then 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.” 5So he brought the people down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall put everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps in one group, and everyone who kneels down to drink in another.” 6Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water.

Judges 7:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־גִּדְע֗וֹן עוֹד֮ הָעָ֣ם רָב֒ הוֹרֵ֤ד אוֹתָם֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וְאֶצְרְפֶ֥נּוּ לְךָ֖ שָׁ֑ם וְהָיָ֡ה אֲשֶׁר֩ אֹמַ֨ר אֵלֶ֜יךָ זֶ֣ה׀ יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֗ךְ ה֚וּא יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֔ךְ וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־אֹמַ֜ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ זֶ֚ה לֹא־יֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא לֹ֥א יֵלֵֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Then the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• The peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• are stillעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• too manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• bringיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and I will testצָרַףtsâraph · to refineH6884
• them for you thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• So it shall be that he of whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• to you, ‘Thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• shall goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• with you; but everyoneכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605

Cross-references for Judges 7:4

• Psalms 33:16The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not rescued by great strength.
• Genesis 22:1Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• Job 23:10But He knows the way I take; When He has put me to the test, I will come out as gold.
• Psalms 7:9Please let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God puts hearts and minds to the test.
• Psalms 66:10For You have put us to the test, God; You have refined us as silver is refined.
• Jeremiah 6:27“I have made you an assayer and an examiner among My people, So that you may know and put their way to the test.”
• Malachi 3:2“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap.

Commentaries on Judges 7:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Try - The word used for refining metals by separating the dross from the pure ore. They who threw themselves on the ground and drank freely were the more self-indulgent; while they who, remembering the near presence of the enemy, slaked their thirst with moderation, and without being off their guard for an instant, were the true soldiers of the army of God.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-8The Lord chose those who drank from their hands instead of those who knelt. This choice seemed random, but it helped reduce the army's size.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. too many--Two reductions were ordered, the last by the application of a test which was made known to Gideon alone.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 7:4

• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Gideon
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Harod
• Lap
• Midianite
• Moreh, the Hill of
• Abdon (1)
• Deuteronomy
• Esdraelon, Plain of

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