The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
- BSB Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
- NKJV Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
- NASB Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord handed them over to Midian for seven years.
- NLT The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel again does evil, so the Lord hands them over to Midian's oppression for seven years.
Overview
This verse opens the Gideon narrative with the familiar cycle of Judges: Israel sins, and God disciplines them through a foreign oppressor. Midian's seven-year domination is presented as Yahweh's righteous response to covenant unfaithfulness. The recurring pattern underscores humanity's persistent sin and the need for a deliverer who can break the cycle once for all, fulfilled in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Neh 9:26–29“Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.
- Judg 2:19–20But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
- Judg 2:11The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.
- Num 31:1–3Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
- Judg 2:13–14They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
- Num 25:15–18The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.
- Deut 28:15–68But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you, and overtake you.
- Ps 106:34–42They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them,
- Lev 26:14–46“‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments;
- Gen 25:2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
- Hab 3:7I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 6:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.