Judges 6:2
New International Version
Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

New Living Translation
The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

English Standard Version
And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

Berean Standard Bible
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

King James Bible
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

New King James Version
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.

New American Standard Bible
The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

NASB 1995
The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

NASB 1977
And the power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

Amplified Bible
The [powerful] hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens (hideouts) which were in the mountains, and the caves and the [mountain] strongholds.

Christian Standard Bible
and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

American Standard Version
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the hand of the Midianites was hard on Israel and they fled from before the Midianites and the sons of Israel made houses for themselves in the mountains and caves and sheepfolds

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the hand of Madiam prevailed against Israel: and the children of Israel made for themselves because of Madiam the caves in the mountains, and the dens, and the holes in the rocks.

Contemporary English Version
The Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they were grievously oppressed by them. And they made themselves dens and eaves in the mountains, and strong holds to resist.

English Revised Version
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strong holds.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Midian's power was too strong for Israel. The Israelites made hiding places in the mountains, caves, and mountain strongholds [to protect themselves] from Midian.

Good News Translation
The Midianites were stronger than Israel, and the people of Israel hid from them in caves and other safe places in the hills.

International Standard Version
Midian's control predominated throughout Israel, and because of Midian the Israelis went out to find temporary hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and fortified places.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Literal Standard Version
and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, [so] the sons of Israel have made for themselves the nooks which [are] in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds [to hide] from the presence of Midian.

Majority Standard Bible
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

New American Bible
so that Midian held Israel subject. From fear of Midian the Israelites made dens in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.

NET Bible
The Midianites overwhelmed Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds.

New Revised Standard Version
The hand of Midian prevailed over Israel; and because of Midian the Israelites provided for themselves hiding places in the mountains, caves and strongholds.

New Heart English Bible
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

World English Bible
The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.

Young's Literal Translation
and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made for themselves the flowings which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Midian Oppresses Israel
1Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:38
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

Judges 6:3
Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,

1 Samuel 13:6
Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

Jeremiah 41:9
Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

Jeremiah 48:28
Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.


Treasury of Scripture

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

the hand

Leviticus 16:17
And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

Deuteronomy 28:47,48
Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; …

prevailed.

1 Samuel 13:6
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

1 Samuel 14:11
And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

Hebrews 11:38
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Jump to Previous
Caves Children Dens Hand Holds Holes Hollows Israel Israelites Midian Mid'ian Midianites Mountain Mountains Oppressive Power Prepared Presence Prevailed Rocks Shelters Strong Strongholds Themselves
Jump to Next
Caves Children Dens Hand Holds Holes Hollows Israel Israelites Midian Mid'ian Midianites Mountain Mountains Oppressive Power Prepared Presence Prevailed Rocks Shelters Strong Strongholds Themselves
Judges 6
1. The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian
8. A prophet rebukes them
11. An angel sends Gideon for their deliverance
17. Gideon's present is consumed with fire
24. Gideon destroys Baal's altar; offers a sacrifice upon the altar Jehovah-shalom
28. Joash defends his son, and calls him Jerubbaal
33. Gideon's army
36. Gideon's signs














(2) The hand of Midian prevailed.--See Judges 3:10. This oppression is wholly different from that with which we have been dealing in the last chapter. That was the last great attempt of the old inhabitants to recover their lost country; this is a foreign invasion.

The dens which are in the mountains.--The word mineharoth, rendered dens (LXX., mandrai), occurs here only. Rashi and Kimchi render it, "caves lighted from above," deriving it from neharah, "light" (Job 3:4). They were probably thinking of the subterranean galleries like those found by Wetzstein in the Hauran (p. 45). R. Tanchum and others take it to mean fire-signals. But the more probable derivation is nahar, "a river," and then the meaning is "torrent-gullies," which they easily converted into places of concealment, since the limestone hills of Palestine abound in caves. Josephus understood it to mean mines and caverns (Antt. v. 6. ? 1). (Comp. 1Samuel 13:6 : "When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits." Hebrews 11:38 : "in dens and caves of the earth.") Three places of hiding are mentioned: (1) The mineharoth, perhaps catacombs and galleries in the rocks, which, as the article shows, were pointed out long afterwards. (2) Craggy peaks, like Rimmon, Magada, &c. (3) "Limestone caves, here first mentioned, and afterwards often used, like the Corycian cave in Greece during the Persian invasion, and the caves of the Asturias in Spain during the occupation of the Moors. It was returning to the old troglodyte habits of the Horites and Phoenicians" (Stanley, i. 340). These caves were used, long afterwards, by the brigands whom Herod and the Romans found it so hard to extirpate.

Verse 2. - The dens... and caves. In the writer's time certain hiding-places called by the above names were traditionally known as the places where the Israelites took refuge during the terrible Midianite invasion. The limestone hills of Palestine abounded in such caves.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and the hand
יַד־ (yaḏ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of Midian
מִדְיָ֖ן (miḏ·yān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4080: Midian -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his descendants and the region where they settled

prevailed
וַתָּ֥עָז (wat·tā·‘āz)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5810: To be strong

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Because of
מִפְּנֵ֨י (mip·pə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the Midianites,
מִדְיָ֜ן (miḏ·yān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4080: Midian -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his descendants and the region where they settled

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

prepared
עָשֽׂוּ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

shelters
הַמִּנְהָרוֹת֙ (ham·min·hā·rō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4492: A channel, fissure, a cavern

for themselves
לָהֶ֣ם ׀ (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

in the mountains,
בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים (be·hā·rîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

caves,
הַמְּעָר֖וֹת (ham·mə·‘ā·rō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4631: A cavern

and strongholds.
הַמְּצָדֽוֹת׃ (ham·mə·ṣā·ḏō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4679: Fastness, a stronghold


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OT History: Judges 6:2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 6:1
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