Judges 6:4

Judges 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
• New International Version (NIV)They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.

Context of Judges 6:4

2Midian maintained an upper hand over Israel, and because of Midian Bnei-Yisrael made themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and strongholds. 3Whenever Israel had done their sowing, the Midianites, Amalekites and people from the east would come up and raid them. They would set up camp by them, destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza, and leave nothing in Israel to live on—not a sheep, ox or donkey. 5For they would come up with their cattle and their tents, invade like a multitude of locusts. Both they and their camels were innumerable, and they would come to the land to ruin it. 6So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai.

Judges 6:4 word by word

וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם וַיַּשְׁחִ֙יתוּ֙ אֶת־יְב֣וּל הָאָ֔רֶץ עַד־בּוֹאֲךָ֖ עַזָּ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ מִֽחְיָה֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְשֶׂ֥ה וָשׁ֖וֹר וַחֲמֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they encampedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• against them, and destroyedשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• the increaseיְבוּלyebûl · cropsH2981
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• till thou comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): towardsH935
• unto Gazaעַזָּה‛azzâh · GazaH5804
• and leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• no sustenanceמִחְיָהmichyâh · recoveryH4241
• for Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• neither sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
• nor oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
• nor assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543

Cross-references for Judges 6:4

• Leviticus 26:16then I will do the following to you in return. I will appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever that will dim the eyes and cause the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
• Deuteronomy 28:30“You will become engaged to a woman, but another man will sleep with her. You will build a house, but you will not dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not put it to use.
• Micah 6:15You will sow but not reap; You will tread olives but not anoint yourself with oil, and grapes but not drink wine.
• Genesis 10:19Now the Canaanite border was from Zidon, as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
• Genesis 13:10Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the whole area surrounding the Jordan was well watered in its entirety (before Adonai destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah)—like Adonai’s garden, like the land of Egypt—till you come to Zoar.
• Proverbs 28:3A poor man who oppresses the weak is like pounding rain without food.
• Jeremiah 49:9If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came at night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
• Obadiah 1:5“If thieves came to you, if robbers by night— how ruined you would be!— would they keep stealing after they had enough? If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleaning?

Commentaries on Judges 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Encamped against them - Wandering hordes of Midianites, Amalekites, and Ishmaelites came, in the times of harvest and autumn, and carried away their crops, their fruit, and their cattle. And they appear to have come early, encamped in the plains, and watched the crops till they were ready to be carried off. This is frequently the case even to the present day. Till thou come unto Gaza - That is, the whole breadth of the land, from Jordan to the coast of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Gaza indicates the extreme point south to which they spread their devastations, crossing the Jordan near Bethshan (Scythopolls), and entering by the valley of Jezreel, and sweeping along the whole of the maritime plain or Shephelah.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. 1-61. and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian--Untaught by their former experiences, the Israelites again apostatized, and new sins were followed by fresh judgments. Midian had sustained a severe blow in the time of Moses (Nu 31:1-18); and the memory of that disaster, no doubt, inflamed their resentment against the Israelites. They were wandering herdsmen, called "children of the East," from their occupying the territory east of the Red Sea…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 6:4

• Gaza

In the dictionaries

• Gaza
• Israel
• Den
• Gideon
• God
• Midianite
• Mighty
• Sign
• Wherewith
• Wring

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