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 Living Translation (NLT)But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.”

Context of Judges 7:4

2And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3Now 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. 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.” 5So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
• The peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• bring them downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• unto the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and I will tryצָרַףtsâraph · to refineH6884
• unto thee, This shall goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for Judges 7:4

• Psalms 33:16No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
• Genesis 22:1Now it came to pass 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 his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• Job 23:10But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
• Psalms 7:9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
• Psalms 66:10For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
• Jeremiah 6:27“I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people, That you may know and test their way.
• 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 launderers’ 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