New English Translation
Judges 6:26
26Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.”
Judges 6:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
- New International Version (NIV)Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down."
- New King James Version (NKJV)and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
Context of Judges 6:26
24Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 25That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 28When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.
Read all of Judges 6Judges 6:26 word by word
וּבָנִ֨יתָ מִזְבֵּ֜חַ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ עַ֣ל רֹ֧אשׁ הַמָּע֛וֹז הַזֶּ֖ה בַּמַּֽעֲרָכָ֑ה וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַפָּ֣ר הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְהַעֲלִ֣יתָ עוֹלָ֔ה בַּעֲצֵ֥י הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּכְרֹֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- upon the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of this rockמָעוֹזmâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz mâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz · securityH4581
- in the ordered placeמַעֲרָכָהma‛ărâkâh · rankH4634
- and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the secondשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
- bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
- and offerעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
- a burnt sacrificeעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
- with the woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- of the groveאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
- which thou shalt cut downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
Cross-references for Judges 6:26
Commentaries on Judges 6:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26With the wood of the grove - It is probable that אשרה Asherah here signifies Astarte; and that there was a wooden image of this goddess on the altar of Baal. Baal-peor was the same as Priapus, Astarte as Venus; these two impure idols were proper enough for the same altar. In early times, and among rude people, the images of the gods were made of wood. This is the case still with the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, with the Indians of America, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26In the ordered place - See the margin. “Build an altar, etc., with the materials,” “the wood laid in order” (compare Genesis 22:9), that, namely, which he would find ready to hand in the altar of Baal which he was to throw down. The wood of the grove - “The (blocks of) wood of the idol,” i. e. the image of Astarte. The command from God Himself to build an altar, and sacrifice upon it, is analogous to Elijah‘s sacrifice 1 Kings 18, and was doubtless caused…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. 25-32In an act commanded by God, Gideon destroyed a community altar to Baal and its Asherah pole.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 6:26
In the dictionaries
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
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