“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
- KJV And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
- NKJV And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
- NASB Yet the Lord said to him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will defeat Midian as one man.”
- NLT The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
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
God answers Gideon's objection with the promise of His presence, assuring him he will defeat Midian as easily as striking one man.
Overview
Yahweh meets Gideon's protest not by praising his strength but by pledging 'I will be with you.' Victory over the vast Midianite host is guaranteed by God's presence, making the enemy as conquerable as a single foe. This promise of presence is the same assurance Christ gives His disciples in their mission (Matthew 28:20).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Josh 1:5No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
- Exod 3:12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
- Mark 16:20And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.
- Isa 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
- Isa 41:14–16Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
- Matt 28:20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Judg 6:12And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 6:16 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
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