New English Translation
Judges 7:3
3Now, announce to the men, ‘Whoever is shaking with fear may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” Twenty-two thousand men went home; ten thousand remained.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Judges 7:3
1Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. The Midianites were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ Now, announce to the men, ‘Whoever is shaking with fear may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” Twenty-two thousand men went home; ten thousand remained. 4The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; when I say, ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” 5So he brought the men down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.”
Read all of Judges 7Judges 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 20:8In addition, the officers are to say to the troops, “Who among you is afraid and fainthearted? He may go home so that he will not make his fellow soldier’s heart as fearful as his own.”
- Matthew 13:21But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
- Luke 14:25Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said,
- Revelation 17:14They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”
- Revelation 21:8But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That 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
In the dictionaries
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
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