Judges 6:2

Judges 6:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
• New International Version (NIV)Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.

Context of Judges 6:2

1The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, 4camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.

Judges 6:2 word by word

וַתָּ֥עָז יַד־מִדְיָ֖ן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִפְּנֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן עָשֽׂוּ לָהֶ֣ם׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶת־הַמִּנְהָרוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וְאֶת־הַמְּעָר֖וֹת וְאֶת־הַמְּצָדֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• prevailedעָזַז‛âzaz · be strongH5810
• against Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• them the densמִנְהָרָהminhârâh · caveH4492
• in the mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• and cavesמְעָרָהme‛ârâh · caveH4631
• and strong holdsמְצָדmetsad metsâd metsâdâh · strongholdH4679

Cross-references for Judges 6:2

• Leviticus 16:17No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 28:47If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received,
• 1 Samuel 13:6The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.
• 1 Samuel 14:11When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!”
• Hebrews 11:38They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
• Revelation 6:15Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

Commentaries on Judges 6:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Made them the dens which are in the mountains - Nothing can give a more distressing description of the state of the Israelites than what is here related. They durst not reside in the plain country, but were obliged to betake themselves to dens and caves of the mountains, and live like wild beasts, and were hunted like them by their adversaries.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The word rendered “dens” is only found in this passage. It is best explained of ravines hollowed out by torrents, which the Israelites made into hiding-places.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6After forty years of peace, religious blending caused political instability, and roaming nomads forced the Israelites to live as fugitives. The Midianites, once thought to be purely nomadic and based in northwest Arabia, are now known to have built cities and, for a time, controlled much of the Arabian Peninsula and southern Transjordan (the area east of the Jordan). They are joined by the Amalekites (who were earlier part of a Moabite coalition; see…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. made ... dens ... in the mountains and caves--not, of course, excavating them, for they were already, but making them fit for habitation.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 6:2

• Cave
• Dens
• Fort

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Midian
• Midian; Midianites
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Midian, Midianite
• Children of Israel
• Cave
• Den
• Gideon

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