Judges 6:1-4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 6:1-6

We have here, I. Israel's sin renewed: They did evil in the sight of the Lord, Jdg. 5:1. The burnt child dreads the fire; yet this perverse unthinking people, that had so often smarted sorely for their idolatry, upon a little respite of God's judgments return to it again. This people hath a revolting rebellious heart, not kept in awe by the terror of God's judgments, nor engaged in honour and gratitude by the great things he had done for them to keep themselves in his love. The providence of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:1

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord ,.... After the death of Deborah and Barak, during whose life they kept to the pure worship of God, and who, perhaps, lived pretty near the close of the forty years' rest, or of the twenty years from their victory over Jabin; but they dying, the children of Israel fell into idolatry, for that that was the evil they did appears from Judges 6:10 , even worshipping the gods of the Amorites: and the Lord delivered them into the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:2

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel ,.... They were too strong for them, and overcame them, and brought them into subjection to them, and no wonder, when the Lord delivered them into their hand: and because of the Midianites ; because of their usage of them, their manner of coming upon them yearly, and pillaging and plundering their substance, as after related: the children of Israel made them dens which are in the mountains ; the word for "dens" has the signification of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:3

And so it was, when Israel had sown ,.... Their land, and it was grown up, and near being ripe, or quite; for the Midianites gave them no disturbance in the winter, and during seedtime, when they came out of their lurking holes, and manured their land, and sowed it: that the Midianites came up ; into the land of Canaan, from the other side Jordan, where their country lay, and which it seems lay lower than the land of Israel: and the Amalekites, and the children of the east : the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:4

And they encamped against them ,.... Formed a camp, from whence they sent out parties to plunder the people; or"they were fixing their tents among them,'as the Vulgate Latin version; and so the Targum,"they dwelt by them,'or fixed their habitations by them; for they seem not to have come as a regular army, but as a sort of banditti to pillage, and plunder, and destroy the fruits of the earth; and the Midianites and Arabians dwelt in tents chiefly: and destroyed the increase of the earth ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:1

Delivered them unto the hand of Midian - The Midianites were among the most ancient and inveterate of the enemies of Israel. They joined with the Moabites to seduce them to idolatry, and were nearly extirpated by them; Numbers 31:1-12 . The Midianites dwelt on the eastern borders of the Dead Sea, and their capital was Arnon. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:2

Made them the dens which are in the mountains - Nothing can give a more distressing description of the state of the Israelites than what is here related. They durst not reside in the plain country, but were obliged to betake themselves to dens and caves of the mountains, and live like wild beasts, and were hunted like them by their adversaries. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:3

Children of the East - Probably those who inhabited Arabia Deserta, Ishmaelites. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:4

Encamped against them - Wandering hordes of Midianites, Amalekites, and Ishmaelites came, in the times of harvest and autumn, and carried away their crops, their fruit, and their cattle. And they appear to have come early, encamped in the plains, and watched the crops till they were ready to be carried off. This is frequently the case even to the present day. Till thou come unto Gaza - That is, the whole breadth of the land, from Jordan to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 6:1

Midian - See Genesis 25:2 note. They were remarkable not only for the vast number of their cattle Judges 6:5; Numbers 31:32-39, but also for their great wealth in gold and other metal ornaments, showing their connection with a gold country. (Compare Numbers 31:22, Numbers 31:50-54, with Judges 8:24 :26.) At this time they were allies of the Amalekites and of the Arabian tribes called collectively “the children of the East” Judges 6:3. They seem to have extended their settlements to the east of... read more

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