Judges 6:12–16
The angel calls Gideon “valiant warrior”, though he sees himself as the least in his house
Study it word by word12The angel of YHWH appeared to him and said to him, “YHWH is with you, valiant warrior.”
13Gideon said to him, “Pardon, my lord, if YHWH is with us, why has all this found us? And where are all his wonders that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not YHWH bring us up from Egypt?’ But now YHWH has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14YHWH turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
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.”
16YHWH said to him, “Because I will be with you, you will strike Midian as one man.”
In its context
10And I said to you, “I am YHWH your Elohim; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorite, in whose land you live.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”
11The angel of YHWH came and sat under the oak that is in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while Gideon his son was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from Midian.
…
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.
18Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He said, “I will stay until you return.”
Its words in the original
- יֵּרָאyera· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- מַלְּאַךְmalach· messenger, angel
Messenger: someone sent with a task. It can be a human being or one sent by God, that is, an angel. "The angel of YHWH" is a messenger who speaks in God's name, and in several passages the text treats him as God himself (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:2-6).
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- גִּבּוֹרgibor· mighty one, mighty man
Strong, valiant; a mighty man, an outstanding warrior.
- חָיִלchayil· strength; wealth, army
Strength, ability; depending on the passage, wealth, an army, or valor.
- גִּדְעוֹןgidon· Gideon
Gideon, son of Joash, of the tribe of Manasseh; a judge who saved Israel from Midian. The name means "one who cuts down." He is also called Jerubbaal.
- בִּיbi· please, my lord
Please, pardon me: a formula for addressing a superior respectfully.
- אֲדֹנִadoni· lord, master
Lord: one who has authority over another (an owner, a husband, a superior). It is also a polite form, "my lord". Said of God, "the Lord".
- מְצָאַתְmetsaat· find
Find, come upon; also obtain, reach; in the passive, be found, be present.
- נִפְלְאֹתָיniflotay· be wonderful, too hard
Be extraordinary, beyond what one can do; be wonderful. "Is anything too hard for YHWH?"
- סִפְּרוּsipru· count, tell
Count (numbers) and also tell (relate, recount). From here comes the word for "scribe".
- אֲבוֹתֵיavote· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- מִּצְרַיִםmitsrayim· Egypt, Mizraim
Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.
- הֶעֱלָheela· go up, offer up
Go up, ascend, climb. It is also used for "offering" a sacrifice (making it go up), and for coming up from Egypt.
- נְטָשָׁnetasha· leave; permit
Leave, let go, permit. Elsewhere, abandon; also spread out.
- יִּתְּנֵyitne· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- כַףchaf· palm, sole
The palm of the hand or the sole of the foot; also a pan or small bowl.
- מִדְיָןmidyan· Midian
Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah; from him came the Midianites, a desert people, and their land.
- יִּפֶןyifen· turn
Turn, turn toward something; face, look. In another form of the verb, clear, empty a place.
- לֵךְlech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- כֹחֲchoach· strength
Strength, power, vigor; also what the ground can produce. A word with the same letters names a large lizard.
- הוֹשַׁעְתָּhoshata· save
Save: deliver someone from danger or from an oppressor. From this root come the names Joshua and Jesus.
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- שְׁלַחְתִּיshelachti· send, stretch out
Send; stretch out (the hand); let go, send away, set free.
- אֲדֹנָadona· Adonai, Lord
"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.
- אַלְפִּalpi· cattle
Cattle, oxen or cows.
- דַּלdal· poor, weak
Poor, weak: one who has little and little strength to defend himself.
- מְנַשֶּׁהmenashe· Manasseh
Manasseh, the elder son of Joseph; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and a king of Judah. The name sounds like "make forget".
- צָּעִירtsair· younger, small
The younger; small, young; few.
- בֵיתvet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- אֶהְיֶהehye· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- הִכִּיתָhikita· strike
Strike, hit, wound; often, kill; also strike down, defeat.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- אֶחָדechad· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.