Judges 7 · Verse 5

Judges 7:5

So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
Judges 7:5, King James Version

Judges 7:5 in other translations

BSBSo Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
WEBSo he brought down the people to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.”
ASVSo he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
YLTAnd he bringeth down the people unto the water, and Jehovah saith unto Gideon, ‘Every one who lappeth with his tongue of the water as the dog lappeth--thou dost set him apart; also every one who boweth on his knees to drink.'
DARBYAnd he brought down the people to the water; and Jehovah said to Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down on his knees to drink.
BBESo he took the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, Put on one side by themselves all those drinking up the water with their tongues like a dog; and in the same way, all those who go down on their knees to the water while drinking.
WebsterSo he brought down the people to the water: and the LORD said to Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

What does Judges 7:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. bring them down unto the water--When the wandering people in Asia, on a journey or in haste, come to water, they do not stoop down with deliberation on their knees, but only bend forward as much as is necessary to bring their hand in contact with the stream, and throw it up with rapidity, and at the same time such address, that they do not drop a particle. The Israelites, it seems, were acquainted with the practice; and those who adopted it on this occasion were selected as fit for a work that required expedition. The rest were dismissed according to the divine direction.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Every one that lappeth of the water - as a dog - The original word ילק yalok is precisely the sound which a dog makes when he is drinking.

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 7:5 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.

וַיּ֥וֹרֶדvai.Yo.redand he brought downH3381
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמָּ֑יִם\ \סha.Ma.yimthe waterH4325
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
גִּדְע֗וֹןgid.'onGideonH1439
כֹּ֣לkoleveryH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[one] whoH834
יָלֹק֩ya.Lokhe will lap upH3952
בִּלְשׁוֹנ֨וֹbil.sho.Nowith tongue hisH3956
מִן\־min-some ofH4480
הַמַּ֜יִםha.Ma.yimthe waterH4325
כַּאֲשֶׁ֧רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
יָלֹ֣קya.Lokit laps upH3952
הַכֶּ֗לֶבha.Ke.levthe dogH3611
תַּצִּ֤יגta.Tzigyou will setH3322
אוֹתוֹ֙'o.To<obj.> himH853
לְבָ֔דle.Vad<to> aloneH905
וְכֹ֛לve.Kholand everyH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[one] whoH834
יִכְרַ֥עyikh.Ra'he will bow downH3766
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בִּרְכָּ֖יוbir.Kavknees hisH1290
לִשְׁתּֽוֹת\׃lish.Totto drinkH8354

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
lappeth.The original word {yalok,} is precisely the sound which the dog makes in lapping. It appears that it is not unusual for the Arabs to drink water out of the palms of their hands; and, from this account, we learn that the Israelites did so occasionally. Dr. A. Clarke, in his edition of Harmer, has presented us with the following curious MS. note from Dr. Russell. "When they take water with the palms of their hands, they naturally place themselves on their hams, to be nearer the water; but when they drink from a pitcher or gourd, fresh filled, they do not sit down on purpose to drink, but drink standing, and very often put the sleeve of their shirt over the mouth of the vessel, by way of strainer, lest small leeches might have been taken up with the water. For the same reason they often prefer taking the water with the palm of the hand to lapping it from the surface." From the letters of Busbequius we learn, that the Eastern people are not in the habit of drinking standing. The 300 men, who satisfied their thirst in the most expeditious manner, by this sufficiently indicated their spirit, and alacrity to follow Gideon in his dangerous enterprise; while the rest shewed their love of ease, self-indulgence, effeminacy, and want of courage.
5

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

Context

  • Judges 7:4

    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.

  • Judges 7:5

    So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

  • Judges 7:6

    And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

Read all of Judges 7

Judges 7:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces llevó el pueblo á las aguas: y Jehová dijo á Gedeón: Cualquiera que lamiere las aguas con su lengua como lame el perro, aquél pondrás aparte; asimismo cualquiera que se doblare sobre sus rodillas para beber.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il fit descendre le peuple vers l’eau. Et l’ Éternel dit à Gédéon: Quiconque lapera l’eau avec sa langue, comme lape le chien, tu le mettras à part, et aussi tous ceux qui se courberont sur leurs genoux pour boire.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er führte das Volk ans Wasser hinab. Und Jehova sprach zu Gideon: Jeder, der mit seiner Zunge von dem Wasser leckt, wie ein Hund leckt, den stelle besonders; und auch jeden, der sich auf seine Knie niederläßt, um zu trinken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque descendisset populus ad aquas, dixit Dominus ad Gedeon: Qui lingua lambuerint aquas, sicut solent canes lambere, separabis eos seorsum: qui autem curvatis genibus biberint, in altera parte erunt.