Judges 6 · Verse 31

Judges 6:31

And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
Judges 6:31, King James Version

Judges 6:31 in other translations

BSBBut Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
WEBJoash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”
ASVAnd Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar.
YLTAnd Joash saith to all who have stood against him, ‘Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye--do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he is a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'
DARBYAnd Joash said to all that stood near him, Will ye contend for Baal? or will ye save him? he that contends for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning. If he be agod, let him plead for himself, because they have broken down his altar.
BBEBut Joash said to all those who were attacking him, Will you take up the cause of Baal? will you be his saviour? Let anyone who will take up his cause be put to death while it is still morning: if he is a god, let him take up his cause himself because of the pulling down of his altar.
WebsterAnd Joash said to all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he is a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

What does Judges 6:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 6:24-32

24-32. it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him--The transaction in which Gideon is here described as engaged was not entered on till the night after the vision.

Read the full comment on Judges 6:24-32 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 Will ye plead for Baal? - The words are very emphatic "Will ye plead in earnest תריבן for Baal? Will ye תושיען really save him? If he be God, אלהים Elohim, let him contend for himself, seeing his altar is thrown down." The paragogic letters in the words plead and save greatly increase the sense. Joash could not slay his son; but he was satisfied he had insulted Baal: if Baal were the true God, he would avenge his own injured honor. This was a sentiment among the heathens. Thus Tacitus, lib. i., c. 73, A.U.C. 768, mentioning the letter of Tiberius to the consuls in behalf of Cassius and Rubrius, two Roman knights, one of whom was accused of having sold a statue of Augustus in the auction of his gardens; and the other, of having sworn falsely by the name of Augustus, who had been deified by the senate; among other things makes him say: Non ideo decretum patri suo coelum, ut in perniciem civium is honor verteretur. Nec contra religiones fieri quod effigies ejus, utalia nu minum simulachra, venditionibus hortorum et domuum accedant. Jusjurandum perinde aestimandum quam si Jovem fefellisset: deorum injuriae diis curae - "That Divine honors were not decreed to his father (Augustus) to lay snares for the citizens; and if his statue, in common with the images of the gods in general, was put up to sale with the houses and gardens, it could not be considered an injury to religion. That any false oath must be considered as an attempt to deceive Jupiter himself; but the gods themselves must take cognizance of the injuries done unto them." Livy has a similar sentiment, Hist. lib. x., c. 6, where, speaking of some attempts made to increase the number of the augurs out of the commons, with which the senators were displeased, he says: Simulabant ad deos id magis, quam ad se pertinere; ipsos visuros, ne sacra sua polluantur. - "They pretended that these things belonged more to the gods than themselves; and that they would take care that their sacred rites were not polluted."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 6:25-32

See the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great Sacrifice…

Read the full comment on Judges 6:25-32 →

Judges 6:31 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יוֹאָ֡שׁyo.'AshJoashH3101
לְכֹל֩le.Kholto allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[those] whoH834
עָמְד֨וּ'a.me.Duthey stoodH5975
עָלָ֜יו'a.Lavon himH5921
הַאַתֶּ֣ם\׀ha.'a.Tem¿ youH859
תְּרִיב֣וּןte.ri.Vunwill you conduct a case !H7378
לַבַּ֗עַלla.Ba.'alfor <the> BaalH1168
אִם\־'im-or?H518
אַתֶּם֙'a.TemyouH859
תּוֹשִׁיע֣וּןto.shi.'Unwill you deliver !H3467
אוֹת֔וֹ'o.To<obj.> himH853
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher[the one] whoH834
יָרִ֥יבya.Rivhe will conduct a caseH7378
ל֛וֹlofor <the> him
יוּמַ֖תyu.Mathe will be put to deathH4191
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
הַבֹּ֑קֶרha.Bo.kerthe morningH1242
אִם\־'im-ifH518
אֱלֹהִ֥ים'E.lo.Him[is] a godH430
הוּא֙hu'heH1931
יָ֣רֶבYa.revlet him conduct a caseH7378
ל֔וֹlofor <the> himself
כִּ֥יkiifH3588
נָתַ֖ץna.Tatzsomeone has torn downH5422
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מִזְבְּחֽוֹ\׃miz.be.Choaltar hisH4196

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 6:31

  • Ephesians 5:11

    And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

  • Jeremiah 10:5

    They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

  • Jeremiah 10:11

    Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

  • 1 Corinthians 8:4

    As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

  • Psalms 115:4-7

    Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

  • Isaiah 46:7

    They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

  • Exodus 23:2

    Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

  • Isaiah 46:1

    Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

  • 1 Kings 18:29

    And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

  • Deuteronomy 17:2-7

    If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. …

  • 1 Kings 18:40

    And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

  • Numbers 14:6

    And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Will ye plead.The words are very emphatic: "Will ye plead in earnest ({tereevoon}) for Baal? Will ye really save ({tosheeoon}) him? If he be God, ({Elohim,}) let him contend for himself, seeing his altar is thrown down."
Ex 23:2; Nu 14:6; Eph 5:11
let him be.
De 13:5-18; 17:2-7; 1Ki 18:40
if he be.
1Ki 18:27,29; Ps 115:4-7; Isa 41:23; 46:1,7; Jer 10:5,11; 1Co 8:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 6:30

    Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

  • Judges 6:31

    And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

  • Judges 6:32

    Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Read all of Judges 6

Judges 6:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Joas respondió á todos los que estaban junto á él: ¿Tomaréis vosotros la demanda por Baal? ¿le salvaréis vosotros? Cualquiera que tomare la demanda por él, que muera mañana. Si es Dios, contienda por sí mismo con el que derribó su altar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Joas dit à tous ceux qui se tenaient près de lui: Est-ce vous qui plaiderez pour Baal? Est-ce vous qui le sauverez? Celui qui plaide pour lui, qu’il soit mis à mort, d’ici au matin. S’il est dieu, qu’il plaide pour lui-même, car on a démoli son autel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Joas sprach zu allen, die bei ihm standen: Wollt ihr für den Baal rechten, oder wollt ihr ihn retten? Wer für ihn rechtet, soll getötet werden bis zum Morgen. Wenn er ein Gott ist, so rechte er für sich selbst, weil man seinen Altar umgerissen hat.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quibus ille respondit: Numquid ultores estis Baal, ut pugnetis pro eo? qui adversarius est ejus, moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat: si deus est, vindicet se de eo, qui suffodit aram ejus.