16
YHWHיְהוָהsaid to him,וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו“BecauseכִּיI will beאֶהְיֶהwith you,עִמָּךְyou will strikeוְהִכִּיתָMidianאֶת מִדְיָןas oneכְּ אֶחָדman.”אִישׁ
Judges 6:16
Study it in the app“YHWH said to him, “Because I will be with you, you will strike Midian as one man.””
The angel calls Gideon “valiant warrior”, though he sees himself as the least in his houseCourage
With the Hebrew beneath
Judges 6:16, word by word
- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- said to himיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- I will beאֶהְיֶהehye
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “ehye” appears- you will strikeהִכִּיתָhikita
defeat
To attack and beat in battle.
Where else “hikita” appears- Midianמִדְיָןmidyan
Midian
See it on the mapWhere else “midyan” appears- as oneאֶחָדechad
united
United as one: "YHWH is one".
Where else “echad” appears- manאִישׁish
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “ish” appears
Places in this verse
Midian ?
Today: northwest Saudi Arabia, southern Jordan; debated
A region east of the Gulf of Aqaba, in what is now northwest Saudi Arabia; its borders are not certain.
Moses fled to Midian, married there and tended sheep (Exod 2:15-21). Centuries later the Midianites oppressed Israel until Gideon defeated them (Judg 6:1; 7:21).
The context
15He said to him, “Pardon, Adonai, with what shall I save Israel? Look, my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in the house of my father.”
16 · This verse (above)
17He said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please make for me a sign that it is you who are speaking with me.