Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,
Parallel translations
- WEB So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.
- KJV And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
- BSB Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
- NKJV So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
- NASB For whenever Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the people of the east and march against them.
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
Whenever Israel planted crops, Midian and allied raiders swept in to attack them.
Overview
The Midianites, joined by Amalekites and eastern peoples, timed their raids to coincide with Israel's harvest. This relentless plundering left the people unable to sustain themselves in their own land. The oppression demonstrates how sin robs God's people of the blessings of the covenant land.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Judg 7:12The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude.
- Judg 6:33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
- Judg 3:13He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
- 1 Kgs 4:30Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
- Job 1:3His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
- Isa 65:21–22They will build houses, and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
- Gen 29:1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.
- Judg 8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.
- Deut 28:51and they will eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.
- Job 31:8then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
- Mic 6:15You will sow, but won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.
- Deut 28:30–33You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit.
- Lev 26:16I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
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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 6:3 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.