"Surely I will be with you," the LORD replied, "and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man." Surely I will be with you,This phrase emphasizes God's promise of His presence, a recurring theme throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, God's presence is often associated with His guidance and protection, as seen with Moses ( Exodus 3:12) and Joshua ( Joshua 1:5). The assurance of divine presence is crucial for Gideon, who feels inadequate for the task ahead. This promise is a reminder of God's faithfulness and His ability to empower those He calls. It also foreshadows the New Testament promise of Jesus' presence with His followers ( Matthew 28:20). the LORD replied,
The use of "the LORD" (Yahweh) signifies the covenantal name of God, highlighting His relationship with Israel. This personal interaction between God and Gideon underscores the direct communication God has with His chosen leaders. It reflects the theocratic nature of Israel during the time of the Judges, where God directly intervenes in the affairs of His people. This divine reply is a response to Gideon's doubts and fears, providing reassurance and authority. and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.
This phrase prophesies the complete victory over the Midianites, who were oppressing Israel. The Midianites, nomadic people from the Arabian Peninsula, had invaded Israel, leading to severe hardship (Judges 6:1-6). The expression "as one man" suggests unity and decisiveness in the victory, indicating that the defeat of the Midianites will be swift and comprehensive. This victory is not due to Gideon's strength but God's power working through him. It prefigures the ultimate victory over sin and evil through Jesus Christ, who, as one man, brings salvation to all (Romans 5:17-19). Persons / Places / Events 1. GideonA judge of Israel, chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. Initially hesitant and doubtful of his own abilities. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who calls and empowers Gideon for the task of delivering Israel. His presence is the assurance of victory. 3. MidianitesA nomadic people who oppressed Israel for seven years, causing them to live in fear and poverty. They are the enemy that Gideon is called to defeat. 4. OphrahThe location where the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, marking the beginning of his divine commission. 5. IsraelitesThe people of God, suffering under Midianite oppression due to their disobedience and idolatry, yet recipients of God's deliverance through Gideon. Teaching Points God's Presence is Our StrengthJust as God assured Gideon of His presence, we too can find strength and courage in knowing that God is with us in our battles. Divine Empowerment Overcomes Human WeaknessGideon's initial fear and doubt highlight that God often chooses the weak to demonstrate His power, reminding us that our limitations do not limit God. Faith in God's PromisesGideon's account encourages us to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem overwhelming. Our faith is anchored in His faithfulness. Obedience Leads to VictoryGideon's success was contingent on his obedience to God's instructions. Our victories in life are often tied to our willingness to follow God's guidance. God's Deliverance is ComprehensiveThe promise to strike down the Midianites "as one man" signifies total victory. God's deliverance in our lives is thorough and complete. Bible Study Questions 1. How does God's promise to be with Gideon in Judges 6:16 encourage you in your current challenges? 2. In what ways can you relate to Gideon's initial hesitance and fear, and how can you apply God's assurance to your own life? 3. How does the theme of God's presence in Judges 6:16 connect with other biblical promises of God's presence, such as in Exodus 3:12 and Matthew 28:20? 4. What are some areas in your life where you need to rely on God's strength rather than your own abilities? 5. How can Gideon's account inspire you to act in obedience to God's calling, even when you feel inadequate or uncertain? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 3:12God's promise to Moses that He will be with him as he leads Israel out of Egypt. This parallels God's assurance to Gideon of His presence and support. Joshua 1:5God's promise to Joshua that He will be with him as He was with Moses, emphasizing the continuity of God's faithfulness to His people. Matthew 28:20Jesus' promise to His disciples that He will be with them always, echoing the assurance of God's presence given to Gideon. | Divine Mercy: its Adaptation and Sufficiency | A.F. Muir | Judges 6:7, 8, 11, 34 | | A Look, a Word, and a Question | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 6:11-24 | | Brotherhood Illustrated by Gideon's Reply | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Death Impossible | C. D. Bradlee. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Altar | A. Maclaren, D. D. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Angelic Visitor | R. Young, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Attitude Partly Right and Partly Wrong | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Call to Service | C. Leach, D. D. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Commission | J. Irons. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Interview with the Angel | F. Elwin. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Lament | W. Miller, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Might | J. T. Hamly. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Obedience to God's Call | W. Miller, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Sacrifice | The Weekly Pulpit | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Sacrifice Accepted | F. Elwin. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Gideon's Triumph | Homilist | Judges 6:11-24 | | God's Call, and the Response to It | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | How to Treat Doubters | Prof. G. A Smith. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Invisible Might | G. A. Rogers, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Jehovah-Shalom | G. A. Rogers, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Jehovah-Shalom | J. J. S. Bird. | Judges 6:11-24 | | Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord Our Peace | R. Newton, D. D. | Judges 6:11-24 | | One War Over and Another Begun | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 6:11-24 | | Providence not to be Judged from a Narrow Point of View | J. Parker, D. D. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Assurance of Peace Vouchsafed to Gideon | W. W. Duncan, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Christian's Peculiar State | E. Temple. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Divine Afflatus | W. W. Duncan, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Look of God | Homilist | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Man of Valour | W. Burrows, B. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Sign | G. A. Rogers, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | The Witness of Divine Fire and the Altar of Divine Peace | Henry T. Edwards, M. A. | Judges 6:11-24 | | War | Prof. G. A. Smith. | Judges 6:11-24 |
People Abiezer, Abiezrites, Amalek, Amalekites, Amorites, Asher, Egyptians, Ephah, Gideon, Israelites, Jerubbaal, Jezreel, Joash, Manasseh, Midianites, Naphtali, Ophrah, ZebulunPlaces Egypt, Gaza, Jezreel Valley, Jordan River, Midian, OphrahTopics Defeat, Hast, Midian, Midianites, Mid'ianites, Overcome, Smite, Smitten, Strike, Surely, TrulyDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 6:16 5606 warfare, nature of
6634 deliverance Judges 6:11-16 7266 tribes of Israel Judges 6:11-19 4528 trees Judges 6:11-21 4478 meat Judges 6:11-24 8474 seeing God Judges 6:11-27 8131 guidance, results Judges 6:14-16 1320 God, as Saviour Library Gideon's Altar
'Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah- shalom [God is peace].'--JUDGES vi. 24. I need not tell over again, less vividly, the picturesque story in this chapter, of the simple husbandman up in the hills, engaged furtively in threshing out a little wheat in some hollow in the rock where he might hide it from the keen eyes of the oppressors; and of how the angel of the Lord, unrecognised at first, appeared to him; and gradually there dawned upon his mind the suspicion …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureGideon's Fleece
'Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said.'-- JUDGES vi. 37. The decisive moment had come when Gideon, with his hastily gathered raw levies, was about to plunge down to the plain to face immensely superior forces trained to warfare. No wonder that the equally untrained leader's heart heat faster. Many a soldier, who will be steadfastly …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Jehovam-Shalem, the Lord Send Peace. Judg 6:24
…
John Newton—Olney Hymns Whether it is a Sin to Tempt God?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is not a sin to tempt God. For God has not commanded sin. Yet He has commanded men to try, which is the same as to tempt, Him: for it is written (Malach. 3:10): "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in My house; and try Me in this, saith the Lord, if I open not unto you the flood-gates of heaven." Therefore it seems not to be a sin to tempt God. Objection 2: Further, a man is tempted not only in order to test his knowledge and his power, …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Man Now Deprived of Freedom of Will, and Miserably Enslaved.
1. Connection of the previous with the four following chapters. In order to lay a proper foundation for the discussion of free will, two obstacles in the way to be removed--viz. sloth and pride. The basis and sum of the whole discussion. The solid structure of this basis, and a clear demonstration of it by the argument a majori ad minus. Also from the inconveniences and absurdities arising from the obstacle of pride. 2. The second part of the chapter containing the opinions of others. 1. The opinions …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in Scripture, from the Foundation of the World.
1. Scripture, in teaching that the essence of God is immense and spiritual, refutes not only idolaters and the foolish wisdom of the world, but also the Manichees and Anthropomorphites. These latter briefly refuted. 2. In this one essence are three persons, yet so that neither is there a triple God, nor is the simple essence of God divided. Meaning of the word Person in this discussion. Three hypostases in God, or the essence of God. 3. Objection of those who, in this discussion, reject the use of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Subterraneous Places. Mines. Caves.
Thus having taken some notice of the superficies of the land, let us a little search into its bowels. You may divide the subterraneous country into three parts: the metal mines, the caves, and the places of burial. This land was eminently noted for metal mines, so that "its stones," in very many places, "were iron, and out of its hills was digged brass," Deuteronomy 8:9. From these gain accrued to the Jews: but to the Christians, not seldom slavery and misery; being frequently condemned hither by …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Jesus Calls Four Fishermen to Follow Him.
(Sea of Galilee, Near Capernaum.) ^A Matt. IV. 18-22; ^B Mark I. 16-20; ^C Luke V. 1-11. ^a 18 And walking ^b 16 And passing along by the sea of Galilee [This lake is a pear-shaped body of water, about twelve and a half miles long and about seven miles across at its widest place. It is 682 feet below sea level; its waters are fresh, clear and abounding in fish, and it is surrounded by hills and mountains, which rise from 600 to 1,000 feet above it. Its greatest depth is about 165 feet], he [Jesus] …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Of the Sacraments.
1. Of the sacraments in general. A sacrament defined. 2. Meaning of the word sacrament. 3. Definition explained. Why God seals his promises to us by sacraments. 4. The word which ought to accompany the element, that the sacrament may be complete. 5. Error of those who attempt to separate the word, or promise of God, from the element. 6. Why sacraments are called Signs of the Covenant. 7. They are such signs, though the wicked should receive them, but are signs of grace only to believers. 8. Objections …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Doctrine of God
I. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: (Vs. Atheism). 1. ASSUMED BY THE SCRIPTURES. 2. PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. a) Universal belief in the Existence of God. b) Cosmological:--Argument from Cause. c) Teleological:--Argument from Design. d) Ontological:--Argument from Being. e) Anthropological:--Moral Argument. f) Argument from Congruity. g) Argument from Scripture. II. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism) 1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism). 2. THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Pantheism). 3. THE UNITY …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 6:16 NIVJudges 6:16 NLTJudges 6:16 ESVJudges 6:16 NASBJudges 6:16 KJV
Judges 6:16 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
