Judges 6:15
in Judges 6“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
KJV
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
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This verse in Judges 6
Commentary
8 notes on this verseMy family - Hebrew. my thousand: for the tribes were distributed into several thousands, whereof each thousand had his peculiar governor. Is poor - That is, weak and contemptible.
This site's exposition
how can I save Israel
on Judges 6:15-16
The objection follows Moses at Exodus 3:11, and the reply, "Surely I will be with you", is the reply Moses got. Saul says nearly the same of his family at 1 Samuel 9:21, and the choice of the smallest house runs on to David. Commentators read "as one man" as Israel striking as one body or Midian falling as one man, and the Hebrew carries both.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), and he said, I will be with thee. This divine person appeared here to Gideon, and it is observable how he found him, (1.) Retired--all alone. God often manifests himself to his people when they are out of the noise and hurry of this world.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
I am utterly unfit for the service, and unworthy of the honour." Note, God often chooses to do great things by those that are little, especially that are so in their own eyes. God delights to advance the humble. (5.) This objection was soon answered by a repetition of the promise that God would be with him,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And he said unto him, oh my Lord,....
Out of the little which the Midianites had left him he would gladly spare enough to entertain a friend, especially a messenger from heaven. Secondly, To try who and what this extraordinary person was. What he brought out is called his present,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Wherewith shall I save Israel? - I have neither men nor money. Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh - הנה אלפי הדל, Behold, my thousand is impoverished. Tribes were anciently divided into tens, and fifties, and hundreds, and thousands; the thousands therefore marked grand divisions, and consequently numerous families; Gideon here intimates that the families of which he made a part were very much diminished. But if we take אלפי alpey for the contracted form of the plural, which is frequently in Hebrew nouns joined with a verb in the singular, then the translation will be, “The thousands in Manasseh are thinned;” i.e., this tribe is greatly reduced, and can do little against their enemies.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Gideon now perceived that the Lord was speaking to him by His angel. He saw, however, no qualifications in himself, or in his family or tribe, for the office of saviour to his people. He therefore desires some assurance that the message he had just received was indeed from God, and not a mere dream or delusion. He asks as a sign Jdg 6:18 that his mysterious visitor should tarry under the oak until he should return to Him with his gifts and offerings.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Behold, my unit [lit. thousand]. The thousand member unit of which I am a constituent, under the command of its captain, is the most inadequate unit among all the units in Menasheh.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Turned to him. The Holy One, blessed is He, Himself. 9 Gidon was visited by Adonoy himself in the merit of his advocacy of Yisroel. (Yalkut, ibid)
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בִּ֣י | bi | pardon me | H994 → | 12 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֔י | ʾadonai | O Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| בַּמָּ֥ה | bamah | <in> how? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ | ʾoshia' | will I deliver | H3467 → | 206 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אַלְפִּי֙ | ʾalpi | family my | H505 → | 505 times |
| הַדַּ֣ל | hadal | [is] the weak | H1800 → | |
| בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה | bimnasheh | in Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| וְאָנֹכִ֥י | veanokhi | and I | H595 → | 359 times |
| הַצָּעִ֖יר | hatzair | [am] the insignificant | H6810 → | |
| בְּבֵ֥ית | beveit | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִֽי׃ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
בִּ֣יpardon me
biH994 →12 times
אֲדֹנָ֔יO Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
בַּמָּ֥ה<in> how?
bamahH4100 →752 times
אוֹשִׁ֖יעַwill I deliver
ʾoshia'H3467 →206 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הִנֵּ֤הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אַלְפִּי֙family my
ʾalpiH505 →505 times
הַדַּ֣ל[is] the weak
hadalH1800 →
בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔הin Manasseh
bimnashehH4519 →146 times
וְאָנֹכִ֥יand I
veanokhiH595 →359 times
הַצָּעִ֖יר[am] the insignificant
hatzairH6810 →
בְּבֵ֥יתin [the] house of
beveitH1004 →2046 times
אָבִֽי׃father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 3:11But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
it leads to
- Exodus 6:12
But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 18:18
And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Exodus 6:12
Through
Exodus 4:10“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 4:1
Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 1:6
Through
Ephesians 3:8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
Through
Jeremiah 1:6“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
it leads to
- Exodus 4:10–16
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
- Exodus 4:10–16
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonJudgesGideonThe least of the least, threshing wheat in a winepress when the Angel called him mighty man of valor; he tore down Baal's altar, p…
- PersonLate monarchyManassehJudah's longest-reigning and worst king, who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; the book names his apostasy as the cause of 586…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.