Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
Parallel translations
- WEB The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
- 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.
- 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 9:26–29But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- Judg 2:19–20But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
- Judg 2:11And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
- Num 31:1–3And the LORD said to Moses,
- Judg 2:13–14for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
- Num 25:15–18And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.
- Deut 28:15–68If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
- Ps 106:34–42They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,
- Lev 26:14–46If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments,
- Gen 25:2and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
- Hab 3:7I saw the tents of Cushan in distress; the curtains of Midian were trembling.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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.