The Meaning of Judges 6:4 Explained

Judges 6:4

KJV: And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

YLT: and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass;

Darby: they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as the neighborhood of Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or ass.

ASV: and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they encamped  against them, and destroyed  the increase  of the earth,  till thou come  unto Gaza,  and left  no sustenance  for Israel,  neither sheep,  nor ox,  nor ass. 

What does Judges 6:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 6:1-6 - At The Mercy Of Midian
What a contrast our reading suggests between those that love the Lord and go from strength to strength in the undimming luster and influence of their life, and the evil that once more brought the tyrant's yoke upon this neck of Israel! Yet these alternations have too often befallen us. At one moment Sisera and his hosts are chased before us as sheep before the dog; then a reaction sets in and the hand of Midian prevails against us. Why are we not always glad, strong, and victorious? Is it not because we look to our moods, we relax our close walk with God, and we set up the images of Baal in our hearts? We are then reduced to the plight described here and in Haggai 1:6. Why are there not more conversions in the Church? Why is there so little difference between the Church and the world? Why is so much of our Sunday-school teaching ineffective? Ah, the Midianite is in our midst and we acquiesce! The urgent, primal need of the present day is for the Church to realize her true condition, and cry mightily unto God for help. Note Judges 6:6 and Joel 1:14, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Judges 6:4 mean?

And they would encamp against them and destroy - the produce of the earth as far as - Gaza and no leave sustenance for Israel and neither sheep nor ox nor donkey
וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם וַיַּשְׁחִ֙יתוּ֙ אֶת־ יְב֣וּל הָאָ֔רֶץ עַד־ בּוֹאֲךָ֖ עַזָּ֑ה וְלֹֽא־ יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ מִֽחְיָה֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְשֶׂ֥ה וָשׁ֖וֹר וַחֲמֽוֹר

וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ  And  they  would  encamp 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַיַּשְׁחִ֙יתוּ֙  and  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְב֣וּל  the  produce 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יְבוּל  
Sense: produce, fruit, produce (of the soil).
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
בּוֹאֲךָ֖  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עַזָּ֑ה  Gaza 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַזָּה  
Sense: another name for ‘Gaza’, a city of the Philistines located in the extreme southwest of Palestine close to the Mediterranean.
וְלֹֽא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ  leave 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
מִֽחְיָה֙  sustenance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִחְיָה  
Sense: preservation of life, sustenance.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  for  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְשֶׂ֥ה  and  neither  sheep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
וָשׁ֖וֹר  nor  ox 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
וַחֲמֽוֹר  nor  donkey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.