Judges 7:4
in Judges 7Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
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This verse in Judges 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Try - The word used for refining metals by separating the dross from the pure ore. They who threw themselves on the ground and drank freely were the more self-indulgent; while they who, remembering the near presence of the enemy, slaked their thirst with moderation, and without being off their guard for an instant, were the true soldiers of the army of God.
This site's exposition
There are still too many people
on Judges 7:4-6
Verse 2 has already given the reason for both tests, so the cutting down is the work itself, and the text never says what the drinking showed. Albert Barnes reads the lappers as watchful men with their eyes on the enemy, and John Gill finds it hard to tell whether the act showed weakness or courage. A third reading sees only a way of setting apart a number.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the Lord said to Gideon, the people are yet too many,....
But God saith, they are too many, and, when diminished to a third part, they are yet too many, which may help us to understand those providences which sometimes seem to weaken the church and its interests: its friends are too many, too mighty, too wise, for God to work deliverance by;
The words behind it
35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גִּדְע֗וֹן | gidon | Gideon | H1439 → | 39 times |
| עוֹד֮ | ʾod | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רָב֒ | rav | [is] numerous | H7227 → | 454 times |
| הוֹרֵ֤ד | hored | bring down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אוֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמַּ֔יִם | hamayim | the water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְאֶצְרְפֶ֥נּוּ | veetzrefenu | so I may test it | H6884 → | |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| שָׁ֑ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וְהָיָ֡ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | [the one] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֹמַ֨ר | ʾomar | I will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֜יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זֶ֣ה׀ | zeh | this [one] | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| יֵלֵ֣ךְ | yelekh | he will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אִתָּ֗ךְ | ʾitakh | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| ה֚וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יֵלֵ֣ךְ | yelekh | he will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אִתָּ֔ךְ | ʾitakh | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְכֹ֨ל | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | [one] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֹמַ֜ר | ʾomar | I will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זֶ֚ה | zeh | this [one] | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵלֵ֣ךְ | yelekh | he will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| עִמָּ֔ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| ה֖וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵלֵֽךְ׃ | yelekh | he will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גִּדְע֗וֹןGideon
gidonH1439 →39 times
עוֹד֮still
ʾodH5750 →490 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
רָב֒[is] numerous
ravH7227 →454 times
הוֹרֵ֤דbring down
horedH3381 →381 times
אוֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמַּ֔יִםthe water
hamayimH4325 →581 times
וְאֶצְרְפֶ֥נּוּso I may test it
veetzrefenuH6884 →
לְךָ֖for <the> you
lekha
שָׁ֑םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
וְהָיָ֡הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
אֲשֶׁר֩[the one] whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֹמַ֨רI will say
ʾomarH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֜יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
זֶ֣ה׀this [one]
zehH2088 →1180 times
יֵלֵ֣ךְhe will go
yelekhH1980 →1546 times
אִתָּ֗ךְwith you
ʾitakhH854 →929 times
ה֚וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
יֵלֵ֣ךְhe will go
yelekhH1980 →1546 times
אִתָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾitakhH854 →929 times
וְכֹ֨לand every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־[one] whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֹמַ֜רI will say
ʾomarH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֗יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
זֶ֚הthis [one]
zehH2088 →1180 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יֵלֵ֣ךְhe will go
yelekhH1980 →1546 times
עִמָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
ה֖וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵלֵֽךְ׃he will go
yelekhH1980 →1546 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
1 Samuel 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 7:24
Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- Luke 16:15
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
- 1 Peter 3:4
but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
- Isaiah 55:8–9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 17:10
Through
Job 23:10Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
it leads to
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- 1 Peter 1:7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- James 1:2–4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- James 1:12
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.