Judges 7 · Verse 2

Judges 7:2

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Judges 7:2, King James Version

Judges 7:2 in other translations

BSBThen the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
WEBThe LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Gideon, ‘Too many are the people who are with thee for My giving Midian into their hand, lest Israel beautify itself against Me, saying, My hand hath given salvation to me;
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
BBEAnd the Lord said to Gideon, So great is the number of your people, that if I give the Midianites into their hands they will be uplifted in pride over me and will say, I myself have been my saviour.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand hath saved me.

What does Judges 7:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. the Lord said unto Gideon, The people ... are too many--Although the Israelitish army mustered only thirty-two thousand (or one-sixth of the Midianitish host), the number was too great, for it was the Lord's purpose to teach Israel a memorable lesson of dependence on Him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 The people that are with thee are too many - Had he led up a numerous host against his enemies, the excellence of the power by which they were discomfited might have appeared to be of man and not of God. By the manner in which this whole transaction was conducted, both the Israelites and Midianites must see that the thing was of God. This would inspire the Israelites with confidence, and the Midianites with fear.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 7:1-8

God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed. Activity and prudence go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings. When the Lord sees that men would overlook him, and through unbelief, would shrink from perilous services, or that through pride they would vaunt themselves against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by…

Read the full comment on Judges 7:1-8 →

Judges 7:2 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
גִּדְע֔וֹןgid.'onGideonH1439
רַ֗בRav[is too] numerousH7227
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
אִתָּ֔ךְ'i.Takh[is] with youH854
מִתִּתִּ֥יmi.ti.Tithan to give IH5414
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מִדְיָ֖ןmid.YanMidianH4080
בְּיָדָ֑םbe.ya.Damin hand theirH3027
פֶּן\־pen-lestH6435
יִתְפָּאֵ֨רyit.pa.'Erit should glorify itselfH6286
עָלַ֤י'a.Laiover meH5921
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
יָדִ֖יya.Dihand myH3027
הוֹשִׁ֥יעָהho.Shi.'ahit has deliveredH3467
לִּֽי\׃Li<to> <the> me

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

Cross references for Judges 7:2

  • Deuteronomy 8:17

    And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

    But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:7

    But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

  • Romans 11:18

    Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

  • Zechariah 12:7

    The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

  • Zechariah 4:6

    Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Ezekiel 28:17

    Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

  • 1 Samuel 14:6

    And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

  • Deuteronomy 32:27

    Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this.

  • 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

    And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

  • Romans 3:27

    Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

  • Daniel 4:30

    The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
too many.
1Sa 14:6; 2Ch 14:11; Zec 4:6; 12:7; 1Co 1:27-29; 2:4,5; 2Co 4:7
2Co 10:4,5
Israel.
De 32:27; Isa 2:11,17; Jer 9:23; Ro 3:27; 11:18; 1Co 1:29; Eph 2:9
Jas 4:6
Mine own.
De 8:17; Isa 10:13; Eze 28:2,17; Da 4:30; Hab 1:16

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

Context

  • Judges 7:1

    Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

  • Judges 7:2

    And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

  • Judges 7:3

    Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

Read all of Judges 7

Judges 7:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Jehová dijo á Gedeón: El pueblo que está contigo es mucho para que yo dé á los Madianitas en su mano: porque no se alabe Israel contra mí, diciendo: Mi mano me ha salvado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et l’ Éternel dit à Gédéon: Le peuple qui est avec toi est trop nombreux, pour que je livre Madian en leur main, de peur qu’Israël ne se glorifie contre moi, disant: Ma main m’a sauvé.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Jehova sprach zu Gideon: Des Volkes, das bei dir ist, ist zu viel, als daß ich Midian in ihre Hand geben sollte; damit Israel sich nicht wider mich rühme und spreche: Meine Hand hat mich gerettet!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixitque Dominus ad Gedeon: Multus tecum est populus, nec tradetur Madian in manus ejus: ne glorietur contra me Israël, et dicat: Meis viribus liberatus sum.