New English Translation
Judges 6:36
36Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, as you promised, then give me a sign as proof.
Judges 6:36 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
- New International Version (NIV)Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said,
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—
Context of Judges 6:36
34The Lord’s spirit took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him. Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 37Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it is dry, then I will be sure that you will use me to deliver Israel, as you promised.” 38The Lord did as he asked. When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl.
Read all of Judges 6Judges 6:36 word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר גִּדְע֖וֹן אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אִם־יֶשְׁךָ֞ מוֹשִׁ֧יעַ בְּיָדִ֛י אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Judges 6:36
- Judges 6:14Then the Lord himself turned to him and said, “You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?”
- Exodus 4:1Moses answered again, “And if they do not believe me or pay attention to me, but say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’?”
- 2 Kings 20:9Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said. Do you want the shadow to move ahead ten steps or to go back ten steps?”
- Psalms 103:13As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers.
- Matthew 16:1Now when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
Commentaries on Judges 6:36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36If thou wilt save Israel - Gideon was very bold, and God was very condescending. But probably the request itself was suggested by the Divine Spirit. On the miracle of the fleece, dew, and dry ground, Origen, in his eighth homily on the book of Judges, has many curious and interesting thoughts, I shall insert the substance of the whole: - The fleece is the Jewish nation. The fleece covered with dew, while all around is dry, the Jewish nation favored with…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36The caution of Gideon, desirous of being assured that he really had a promise from God, does not imply doubts as to God‘s faithfulness or power to fulfill His promise. Of such doubts there is not a trace in Gideon‘s character. He is a worthy example of faith Hebrews 11:32.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-40Verses 33-40 These signs are truly miraculous, and very significant. Gideon and his men were going to fight the Midianites; could God distinguish between a small fleece of Israel, and the vast floor of Midian? Gideon is made to know that God could do so. Is Gideon desirous that the dew of Divine grace might come down upon himself in particular? He sees the fleece wet with dew to assure him of it. Does he desire that God will be as the dew to all Israel?…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-40The fleece incident did not confirm God's plan to use Gideon, as that was already clear Judges 6:17–24. Instead, it showed God's patience with Gideon's doubts.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33-3933. all the Midianites ... pitched in Jezreel--The confederated troops of Midian, Amalek, and their neighbors, crossing the Jordan to make a fresh inroad on Canaan, encamped in the plains of Esdraelon (anciently Jezreel). The southern part of the Ghor lies in a very low level, so that there is a steep and difficult descent into Canaan by the southern wadies. Keeping this in view, we see the reason why the Midianite army, from the east of Jordan, entered…Read the comment
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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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