New Living Translation
Judges 7:14
14His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”
Judges 7:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
- New International Version (NIV)His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”
Context of Judges 7:14
12The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! 13Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!” 15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” 16He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
Read all of Judges 7Judges 7:14 word by word
וַיַּ֨עַן רֵעֵ֤הוּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣ין זֹ֔את בִּלְתִּ֗י אִם־חֶ֛רֶב גִּדְע֥וֹן בֶּן־יוֹאָ֖שׁ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נָתַ֤ן הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת־מִדְיָ֖ן וְאֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his fellowרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- nothing else save the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- of Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Joashיוֹאָשׁyô'âsh yô'âsh · JoashH3101
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- into his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- hath Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- deliveredנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
- and all the hostמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
Cross-references for Judges 7:14
- Numbers 22:38Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”
- Numbers 23:5The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”
- Numbers 24:10King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times.
- Job 1:10You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
- Exodus 15:14The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
- Joshua 2:9“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.
- Joshua 5:1When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.
- 2 Kings 7:6For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another.
Commentaries on Judges 7:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Into his hand hath God delivered Midian - This is a full proof that God had inspired both the dream and its interpretation.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon - The word rendered tumbled in Judges 7:13, is rather descriptive of a sword brandished (compare Genesis 3:24). Hence, the interpretation “the sword of Gideon.” Hearing this dream and the interpretation would convince Gideon that he was indeed under the guidance of God, and so assure him of God‘s aid; and secondly, it would show him that a panic had already fallen npon the mind of the enemy.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 The dream seemed to have little meaning in it; but the interpretation evidently proved the whole to be from the Lord, and discovered that the name of Gideon had filled the Midianites with terror. Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success; without delay he worshipped and praised God, and returned with confidence to his three hundred men. Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that which encourages…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14People in Egypt and Babylonia often talked about dreams and their meanings. The Old Testament says God inspires dreams, and they are best understood through his guidance (see Genesis 41:15–16, 25; Daniel 2:28). The message of this dream is clear: Gideon's group, symbolized by a round loaf of barley bread, would roll down and defeat the Midianite camp.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-159-10. Arise, get thee down unto the host ... But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant--In ancient times it was reckoned no degradation for persons of the highest rank and character to act as spies on an enemy's camp; and so Gideon did on this occasion. But the secret errand was directed by God, who intended that he should hear something which might animate his own valor and that of his troops.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 7:14
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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