Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Parallel translations
- KJV And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
- BSB “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all 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 man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.
- Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
- Exod 3:12He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
- Mark 16:20They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
- Isa 41:10Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Isa 41:14–16Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says Yahweh, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
- Matt 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Judg 6:12Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you 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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