New Living Translation
Judges 6:37
37prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”
Judges 6:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
- New International Version (NIV)look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said."
- New King James Version (NKJV)look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
Context of Judges 6:37
35He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded. 36Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” 38And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.”
Read all of Judges 6Judges 6:37 word by word
הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י מַצִּ֛יג אֶת־גִּזַּ֥ת הַצֶּ֖מֶר בַּגֹּ֑רֶן אִ֡ם טַל֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה עַֽל־הַגִּזָּ֜ה לְבַדָּ֗הּ וְעַל־כָּל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ חֹ֔רֶב וְיָדַעְתִּ֗י כִּֽי־תוֹשִׁ֧יעַ בְּיָדִ֛י אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Behold, I will putיָצַגyâtsag · to setH3322
- a fleeceגִּזָּהgâzzah · fleeceH1492
- of woolצֶ֫מֶרtsemer · woolH6785
- in the floorגֹּ֫רֶןgôren · threshing floorH1637
- if the dewטַלţal · dewH2919
- dryחֹ֫רֶבchôreb · droughtH2721
- upon all the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- then shall I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- that thou wilt saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- by mine handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- as thou hast saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
Cross-references for Judges 6:37
- Deuteronomy 32:2Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants.
- Psalms 72:6May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth.
- Hosea 6:3Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
- Hosea 14:5I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon.
- Psalms 147:19He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel.
- Matthew 10:5Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans,
- Matthew 15:24Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
Commentaries on Judges 6:37
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37The threshing floors were and still are under the open air, and usually circular. The second sign Judges 6:40, would be more convincing than the former, because it is the nature of fleeces to attract and retain moisture.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
Topics related to Judges 6:37
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries