The Meaning of Judges 6:16 Explained

Judges 6:16

KJV: And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Because I am with thee -- thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.'

Darby: And the LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall smite the Mid'ianites as one man."

ASV: And Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite  the Midianites  as one  man. 

What does Judges 6:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 6:7-18 - A Farmer Called To Be Deliverer
God is not content with sending a prophet to condemn our sins; He commissions an angel to bring help. Surely there is truth in the old belief that the Angel-Jehovah, designated here, was our Lord, whose delights were ever with the sons of men. Compare Isaiah 63:9 and Acts 7:30 with Exodus 3:2; Exodus 3:6. He still comes to us, not visibly to the eye, but sensibly to the heart. There is a peculiar burning at the heart, which those who love Him understand, when He manifests Himself to them as not to the world. See Luke 24:32 and John 14:21
Gideon was the youngest son of a poor family, which had suffered greatly at the hands of Midian. See Judges 8:18. He was compelled to thresh his wheat in the wine-press, below the surface of the ground, lest the Midianites should descend on it and carry it off. He seemed the least likely to be the chosen deliverer. But remember the Apostle's words, 1 Corinthians 1:26. There is a might that no human valor can impart; it is that which is communicated directly from Christ, as in Judges 6:14. And when Jesus looks and speaks, the young soul that stands in all humility before Him knows that it can do all things through Him who strengthens, Philippians 4:13. [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 6:16 mean?

And said to him Yahweh surely I will be with you and you shall defeat - the Midianites as man one
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אֶהְיֶ֖ה עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהִכִּיתָ֥ אֶת־ מִדְיָ֖ן כְּאִ֥ישׁ אֶחָֽד

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כִּ֥י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֶהְיֶ֖ה  I  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עִמָּ֑ךְ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וְהִכִּיתָ֥  and  you  shall  defeat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
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.
מִדְיָ֖ן  the  Midianites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.
כְּאִ֥ישׁ  as  man 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָֽד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).