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the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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New Century Version

Judges 7:2

Then the Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many men to defeat the Midianites. I don't want the Israelites to brag that they saved themselves.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Esdraelon;   Moreh, the Hill of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Levi;   Marriage;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Ophrah;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jerubbaal;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armageddon;   Gideon;   Harod;   Midian;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Trumpet;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Gideon;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Army;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘My own strength saved me.’
Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Gid`on, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midyanim into their hand, lest Yisra'el vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
King James Version
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to Gideon, "The troops that are with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands; Israel will boast, saying, ‘My hand has delivered me.'
English Standard Version
The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.'
New English Translation
The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.'
Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are too many people with you for Me to hand over Midian to them, otherwise Israel will boast [about themselves] against Me, saying, 'My own power has rescued me.'
New American Standard Bible
And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to hand Midian over to them, otherwise Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has saved me.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people yt are with thee, are too many for me to giue the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel make their vaunt against me, and say, Mine hand hath saued mee.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe sê die HERE vir Gídeon: Die manskappe by jou is te veel vir My om die Midianiete in hulle hand te gee; anders kan Israel hom teen My beroem deur te sê: My eie hand het my verlos.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord said, "Gideon, your army is too big. I can't let you win with this many soldiers. The Israelites would think that they had won the battle all by themselves and that I didn't have anything to do with it.
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Gid‘on, "There are too many people with you for me to hand Midyan over to them, because I don't want Isra'el to be able to boast against me, ‘We saved ourselves by our own strength.'
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Lord said to Gideon, "I am going to help your men defeat the Midianites, but you have too many men. I don't want the Israelites to forget me and brag that they saved themselves.
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to deliver the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel should glory in themselves, saying, My own hand has made me victorious.
Good News Translation
The Lord said to Gideon, "The men you have are too many for me to give them victory over the Midianites. They might think that they had won by themselves, and so give me no credit.
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, that Israel not glorify itself against Me, saying, My hand has delivered me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the LORDE sayde vnto Gedeon: The people that be with ye are to many for me to delyuer Madian into their hande, lest Israel boost them selues agaynst me, and saye: My hande hath delyuered me.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Gideon, So great is the number of your people, that if I give the Midianites into their hands they will be uplifted in pride over me and will say, I myself have been my saviour.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people that are with thee, are to many for me to geue ye Madianites into their handes, lest Israel make their vaunt against me, and saye: Myne owne hand hath saued me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto Gideon: 'The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying: mine own hand hath saved me.
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people that are with thee, are too many for me to giue the Midianites into their handes, lest Israel vaunt themselues against mee, saying, Mine owne hand hath saued me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to Gedeon, The people with thee are many, so that I may not deliver Madiam into their hand, lest at any time Israel boast against me, saying, My hand has saved me.
English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to Gedeon, Myche puple is with thee, and Madian schal not be bitakun in to the hondis `ther of, lest Israel haue glorie ayens me, and seie, Y am delyuerid bi my strengthis.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Gideon, `Too many [are] the people who [are] with thee for My giving Midian into their hand, lest Israel beautify itself against Me, saying, My hand hath given salvation to me;
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, or else Israel will vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand hath saved me.
World English Bible
Yahweh said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
New King James Version
And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, "My own hand has saved me.'
New Living Translation
The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.
New Life Bible
The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands. Israel might say with pride, ‘Our own power has saved us.'
New Revised Standard
The Lord said to Gideon, "The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto Gideon, Too many, are the people that are with thee, for me to deliver the Midianites into their hand, - lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand, hath saved me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people that are with thee are many, and Madian shall not be delivered into their hands: lest Israel should glory against me, and say: I was delivered by my own strength.
Revised Standard Version
The LORD said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Mid'ianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.'
THE MESSAGE
God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: ‘Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.'

Contextual Overview

1 Early in the morning Jerub-Baal (also called Gideon) and all his men set up their camp at the spring of Harod. The Midianites were camped north of them in the valley at the bottom of the hill called Moreh. 2 Then the Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many men to defeat the Midianites. I don't want the Israelites to brag that they saved themselves. 3 So now, announce to the people, ‘Anyone who is afraid may leave Mount Gilead and go back home.'" So twenty-two thousand men returned home, but ten thousand remained. 4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take the men down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say, ‘This man will go with you, he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,' he will not go." 5 So Gideon led the men down to the water. There the Lord said to him, "Separate them into those who drink water by lapping it up like a dog and those who bend down to drink." 6 There were three hundred men who used their hands to bring water to their mouths, lapping it as a dog does. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, "Using the three hundred men who lapped the water, I will save you and hand Midian over to you. Let all the others go home." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of Israel to their homes. But he kept three hundred men and took the jars and the trumpets of those who left. Now the camp of Midian was in the valley below Gideon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

too many: 1 Samuel 14:6, 2 Chronicles 14:11, Zechariah 4:6, Zechariah 12:7, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, 1 Corinthians 2:4, 1 Corinthians 2:5, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5

Israel: Deuteronomy 32:27, Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 2:17, Jeremiah 9:23, Romans 3:27, Romans 11:18, 1 Corinthians 1:29, Ephesians 2:9, James 4:6

Mine own: Deuteronomy 8:17, Isaiah 10:13, Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 28:17, Daniel 4:30, Habakkuk 1:16

Reciprocal: Exodus 8:9 - Glory over me Numbers 31:4 - a thousand Deuteronomy 2:33 - the Lord 1 Kings 17:9 - widow woman Job 32:13 - Lest Psalms 33:16 - no king Isaiah 9:21 - Ephraim 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
Then the Lord said to Noah, "I have seen that you are the best person among the people of this time, so you and your family can go into the boat.
Genesis 7:8
The clean animals, the unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls on the ground
Genesis 7:11
When Noah was six hundred years old, the flood started. On the seventeenth day of the second month of that year the underground springs split open, and the clouds in the sky poured out rain.
Genesis 7:15
Every creature that had the breath of life came to Noah in the boat in groups of two.
Genesis 7:19
The water rose so much that even the highest mountains under the sky were covered by it.
Genesis 7:21
All living things that moved on the earth died. This included all the birds, tame animals, wild animals, and creatures that swarm on the earth, as well as all human beings.
Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord . He took some of all the clean birds and animals, and he burned them on the altar as offerings to God.
Leviticus 10:10
You must keep what is holy separate from what is not holy; you must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean.
Ezekiel 44:23
They must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not holy. They must help my people know what is unclean and what is clean.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto Gideon, the people that are with thee are too many,.... It appears, by what follows, that there were 32,000 of them, which was but a small army to engage with one of 100,000 more than they; for such was the army of the Midianites and their associates, see Judges 8:10 but the people were too many, says the Lord,

for me to give the Midianites into their hands; who would be apt to ascribe the victory to themselves, and not to the Lord; to their number, strength, and valour, and not to the hand of the Lord:

lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me; or glory over me, take the glory from me, and ascribe it to themselves, boasting that by their power and prowess they had obtained the victory.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 7:2. The people that are with thee are too many — Had he led up a numerous host against his enemies, the excellence of the power by which they were discomfited might have appeared to be of man and not of God. By the manner in which this whole transaction was conducted, both the Israelites and Midianites must see that the thing was of God. This would inspire the Israelites with confidence, and the Midianites with fear.


 
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