Judges
Chapter 6
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1The sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
2The hand of Midian was strong over Israel. Because of Midian, the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
3Whenever Israel had sown, Midian would come up, and Amalek and the sons of the east, and they would come up against him.
4They would camp against them and ruin the produce of the land until you come to Gaza. They would leave no sustenance in Israel, neither a sheep, nor an ox, nor a donkey.
5For they and their livestock would come up, and their tents. They come, as many as the locust for multitude. They and their camels had no number, and they came into the land to ruin it.
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The written consonants are yavo’u, “they come.” The Masoretic reading is uva’u, “and they came.” The written “they come” is printed.
6Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary..
7When the sons of Israel cried out to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. on account of Midian,
8God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. sent a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, This is what God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, says, I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you out from the house of slaves.
9I rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all who oppressed you. I drove them out from before you and gave you their land.
10And I said to you, I am God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorite, in whose land you are living. But you did not listen to my voice.
11The messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. came and sat under the A kind of tree with hard wood. that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon his son was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from Midian.
12The messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. appeared to him and said to him, God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. is with you, warrior of worth.
13Gideon said to him, Please, my lord, if God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. is with us, then why has all this found us? And where are all his wonders that our fathers recounted to us, saying, Did not God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. bring us up from Egypt? But now God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. has abandoned us and given us into the palm of Midian.
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Adoni here is “my lord,” addressed to the messenger. It is not the divine name.
14God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. turned to him and said, Go in this strength of yours, and save Israel from the palm of Midian. Have I not sent you?
15He said to him, Please, my lord, with what shall I save Israel? Look, my thousand is the poor one in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.
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Alpi is “my thousand,” his clan counted as a thousand.
16God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to him, Because I will be with you, and you shall strike Midian as one man.
17He said to him, If I have found favor in your eyes, make a sign for me that it is you speaking with me.
18Please do not leave this place until I come to you, bring my gift out, and set it before you. He said, I will sit until you return.
19Gideon went in and prepared a kid of the goats, and an A large measure for grain. of flour as Made without yeast, so the bread stays flat. bread. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot. He brought them out to him under the A kind of tree with hard wood. and presented them.
20The messenger of God said to him, Take the meat and the Made without yeast, so the bread stays flat. bread, set them on this rock, and pour out the broth. He did so.
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Here the messenger is called the messenger of God. God is Elohim.
21The messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the Made without yeast, so the bread stays flat. bread. Fire went up from the rock and ate the meat and the Made without yeast, so the bread stays flat. bread. The messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. went from his eyes.
22Gideon saw that he was the messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.. Gideon said, Alas, Lord God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., for because of this I have seen the messenger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. face to face.
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Adonai YHWH is Lord Yahweh. The second word is the name YHWH. In this line it is pointed like Elohim so the two titles are not read the same way. The name is printed Yahweh.
23God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to him, Peace to you. Do not fear. You shall not die.
24Gideon built an altar there to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. and called it God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. Shalom. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrite.
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Yahweh Shalom is the name he gave the altar. It says Yahweh is peace.
25That night God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to him, Take your father’s bull, the ox, and the second bull of seven years, and tear down the altar of the Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it.
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- Translation
The line names two bulls: the ox that belongs to his father, and a second bull of seven years. Asherah here is the sacred pole beside the altar.
26You shall build an altar to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God on the top of this stronghold, in the proper row, and you shall take the second bull and offer it up as a whole offering with the wood of the Asherah that you cut down.
27Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. had spoken to him. Because he was afraid of his father’s house and the men of the city, too much to do it by day, he did it at night.
28The men of the city got up early in the morning, and look, the altar of the Baal was torn down, the Asherah that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered up on the altar that had been built.
29They said, each man to his neighbor, Who did this thing? They searched and asked, and they said, Gideon son of Joash did this thing.
30The men of the city said to Joash, Bring your son out, and let him die, for he tore down the altar of the Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah that was beside it.
31Joash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for the Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone tore down his altar.
32He called him Jerubbaal on that day, saying, Let the Baal contend against him, because he tore down his altar.
33All Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered together, crossed over, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34The spirit of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. clothed Gideon. He blew the horn, and Abiezer was called out after him.
35He sent messengers through all Manasseh, and it too was called out after him. He sent messengers through Asher, through Zebulun, and through Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.
36Gideon said to God, If you are going to save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
37look, I am setting a fleece of wool on the Beating cut grain so the seeds fall loose. floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and on all the ground it is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.
38And it was so. He got up early the next day, pressed the fleece, and wrung dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39Gideon said to God, Do not let your anger burn against me, and let me speak just this once. Let me test, please, only this once, with the fleece. Let it please be dry on the fleece alone, and on all the ground let there be dew.
40God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece alone, and on all the ground there was dew.