Daniel P. Barron

1 And sons of Israel did the bad in eyes of Yehvah, and Yehvah gave them in hand of Midian seven years. 2 And hand of Midian was strong against Israel. Because of Midian, sons of Israel made for themselves the caverns ⁱ which were in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 3 And it was, when Israel had sown, so Midian would go up, and Amalek and sons of East, and they would go up against him. ⁱⁱ 4 And they would encamp against them and ruin the produce of the land unto your going in Gaza. And they would leave no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey. 5 For they and their livestock would come up with their tents, coming in as numerous as locust for multitude. And to them and their camels there was no number. And they came in the land to ruin her. 6 And Israel was very low before Midian, and sons of Israel cried out to Yehvah.

7 And it was, when sons of Israel cried out to Yehvah because of Midian, 8 so Yehvah sent a man, a prophet, to sons of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus said Yehvah, Gods of Israel, 'I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from a house of slaves. 9 And I delivered you from hand of Egypt and from all who oppressed you. And I drove them out from before you and gave to you their land. 10 And I said to you, “I am Yehvah your Gods. Do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land you dwell.” And you did not listen to my voice.'”

11 And a messenger of Yehvah came and sat under the terebinth which was in Ophrah which was Joash's ⁱⁱⁱ the Abi-Ezrite. ^iv And Gideon his son was beating wheat in the winepress to hide from Midian. 12 And messenger of Yehvah appeared to him and said to him, “Yehvah is with you, mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Oh my Lord, and Yehvah is with us. So, why has all this found us? ^v And where are all his wonders our fathers told to us, saying, 'Did not Yehvah bring us up from Egypt?' And now Yehvah has forsaken us and put us in palm of Midian.”

14 And Yehvah ^vi turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from palm of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 And he said to him, “Oh my Lords, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my thousand ^vii is the poor in Manasseh, and I am least in my father's house.” 16 And Yehvah said to him, “Surely, I will be with you and strike Midian as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If, please, I have found grace in your eyes, so do for me a sign that it is you who speaks with me. 18 Please, do not depart from here until my coming to you, and I bring out my gift; and I set it before you.” And he said, “I will sit until your return.”

19 And Gideon went and prepared a kid of the goats and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The flesh he put in the basket, and the broth he put in the pot. And he brought out to the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the messenger of the Gods said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened bread and place them on this rock and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 And messenger of Yehvah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened bread, and the fire went up from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened bread. And messenger of Yehvah went from his eyes. 22 And Gideon saw that he was messenger of Yehvah. And Gideon said, “Ahah, ^viii my Lords Yehvih! For because I have seen messenger of Yehvah face to face!” ^ix 23 And Yehvah said to him, “Peace to you. Do not fear. You shall not die.” 24 And Gideon built there an altar to Yehvah, and called it, “Yehvah is peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrite.

25 And it was in that night, so Yehvah said to him, “Take the bull of the ox which is your father's and the second bull of seven years and tear down the altar of Baal which is your father's and cut down the Asherah which is beside it. 26 And build an altar to Yehvah your Gods on top of this stronghold in the proper arrangement. And take the second bull and offer up a burnt offering ^x with the wood of the Asherah that you cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men from his servants and did just as Yehvah spoke to him. And it was, because he feared the house of his father and the men of the city too much to do it during the day, he did it at night.

28 And the men of the city rose early in the morning. And behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah that was beside it was cut down. And the second bull was being offered up on the altar that was built. 29 And they said each to his friend, “Who did this thing?” And they inquired and sought and said, “Gideon, son of Joash, did this thing.” 30 And the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son and he will die. Because, he tore down the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah which was beside it.”

31 And Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for the Baal? Would you save him? Let him who contends for him be put to death by the morning. If he is Gods, ^xi let him contend for himself, for his altar was torn down!” 32 And he called him in that day Jerubbaal, ^xii saying, “Let the Baal contend against him, because he tore down his altar.”

33 And all Midian, and Amalek, and sons of East gathered together and camped in valley of Jezreel. 34 And spirit of Yehvah clothed ^xiii Gideon, and he blew in the horn. And Abiezer ^xiv assembled behind him. 35 And he sent messengers in all Manasseh who also assembled behind him. And he sent messengers in Asher and in Zebulun and in Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

36 And Gideon said to the Gods, “If you ^xv save Israel by my hand just as you spoke, 37 behold, I put the fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is upon the fleece alone and upon all the earth dry, so I will know that you will save Israel by my hand just as you said.” 38 And it was so. And he arose early the next day and squeezed the fleece and dew drained out from the fleece, the bowl full of water. 39 And Gideon said to the Gods, “Let not your ^xvi anger burn against me, and let me speak just once more. Let me test, please, only the once in the fleece. Let it be, please, dry alone, and upon all the earth let there be dew.” 40 And the Gods, he did so in that night. And it was dry to the fleece alone, and upon all the earth was dew.

Judges 5 - Judges 7

Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.

1. ת ההוררוָננְמה) minhârot) “caverns”; CSB, ERV, etc. “hiding places”; NKJV, KJV, NAS, etc. “dens”; YLT “flowings” – related to the verb to flow (רר נורה ,( possibly caverns hewn out by water.. Exact meaning unknown. Only found here.  ^
2. יו י לור עור`) âlâyv) “against him” - “him” = Israel. ^
3. שָיו) yo'âsh) “Joash” NKJV, etc. - found also in Judges 6:29-31; 7:14; 8:13, 29, 32; also name of several others. See 1 Kings 22:26, etc.. ^
4. י י נְרה הָז עז י הור י י נְבה אב') ָaviy hâ`ezriy) “Abi-Ezrite” YLT, DARBY, AKJV; “Abiezrite” NKJV, KJV, NAS – found also in Judges 6:24; 8:32. ^
5. נוָת רש אָהצורָמ) metsâ'atnu) “found us” YLT; “happened to us” NKJV, NAS; “befallen us” KJV – footnote Numbers 20:14. ^
6. Here the messenger of Yehvah is called Yehvah ^
7. יְהפהָרל א') ָalpiy) “my thousand” DARBY; “my clan” NKJV; “my family” KJV, NAS ^
8. אבהורה') ָahâh) “Ahah” - NKJV, KJV, NAS, YLT, etc. “Alas” - see footnote for Joshua 7:7. ^
9. Exodus 33:20; Genesis 32:30; Judges 13:22; Isaiah 6:1-5. ^
10. Here is a direct command from God, but otherwise burnt offerings are to be according to Deuteronomy 12:13-14. ^
11. “Gods) “elohiymָ ('אל לההְני ים ^
12. ל ר יע ר ב הרבָי) yerubba`al) “Jerubbaal” - means “Let Baal contend” – found also in Judges 7:1; 8:29, 35; 9:1-2, 5, 16, 19, 24, 28, 57; 1 Samuel 12:11. ^
13. הָלורב) lâvshâh) “clothed” YLT, EHV, ESV, NLT (adds “with power”), TLV, WYC; “came upon” NKJV, KJV, NAS. ^
14. ר שזז יעז נְבה אב') ָaviy`ezer) “Abiezer” KJV; “Abiezrites” NKJV, NAS = sons of Abiezer - see Joshua 17:2 and footnote. ^
15. ך הָיזש) yeshkhâ) “you” singular ^
16. הךָרפ א') ָapkhâ) “your anger” - singular “your” - word for anger is the same word for nose רפזך א') ָapkhâ) e.g. 2 Kings 19:28 “your nose.” ^