New King James Version
Judges 6:31
31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”
Judges 6:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
- New International Version (NIV)But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down."
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!”
Context of Judges 6:31
29So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” 32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.” 33Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.
Read all of Judges 6Judges 6:31 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יוֹאָ֡שׁ לְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָמְד֨וּ עָלָ֜יו הַאַתֶּ֣ם׀ תְּרִיב֣וּן לַבַּ֗עַל אִם־אַתֶּם֙ תּוֹשִׁיע֣וּן אוֹת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֥יב ל֛וֹ יוּמַ֖ת עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר אִם־אֱלֹהִ֥ים הוּא֙ יָ֣רֶב ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י נָתַ֖ץ אֶֽת־מִזְבְּחֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Joashיוֹאָשׁyô'âsh yô'âsh · JoashH3101
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto all that stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- against him, Will ye pleadרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- for Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
- will ye saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
- for him, let him be put to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- a godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- hath cast downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
- his altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
People and places in Judges 6:31
Cross-references for Judges 6:31
- Exodus 23:2You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.
- Numbers 14:6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
- Ephesians 5:11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
- Deuteronomy 13:5But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
- Deuteronomy 17:2“If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing His covenant,
- 1 Kings 18:40And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
- 1 Kings 18:27And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
- Isaiah 41:23Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.
- Isaiah 46:1Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast.
- Jeremiah 10:5They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”
- 1 Corinthians 8:4Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
Commentaries on Judges 6:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Will ye plead for Baal? - The words are very emphatic "Will ye plead in earnest תריבן for Baal? Will ye תושיען really save him? If he be God, אלהים Elohim, let him contend for himself, seeing his altar is thrown down." The paragogic letters in the words plead and save greatly increase the sense. Joash could not slay his son; but he was satisfied he had insulted Baal: if Baal were the true God, he would avenge his own injured honor. This was a sentiment…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31From the boldness of Joash in defending his son, it is likely that the majority of the Abi-ezrites sided with him against “the men of the city,” and already felt drawn toward Gideon as their national and religious leader Judges 6:34. Joash appears as the chief magistrate of Ophrah. Will ye plead ? will ye save? - The emphasis is upon ye, as much as to say, What business is it of yours?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. 31Gideon's father, Joash, was the first to follow Gideon's leadership. He left Baal for the Lord, even though he was the keeper of the Baal shrine.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 6:31
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries