The Meaning of Judges 6:2 Explained

Judges 6:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: And the hand of Mid'ian prevailed over Israel; and because of Mid'ian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves and the strongholds.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 6:2 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 6:2 mean?

And prevailed the hand of Midian against Israel Because of the Midianites made for themselves the sons of Israel - the dens which [are] in the mountains and the caves the strongholds
וַתָּ֥עָז יַד־ מִדְיָ֖ן עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִפְּנֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן עָשֽׂוּ לָהֶ֣ם ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶת־ הַמִּנְהָרוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וְאֶת־ הַמְּעָר֖וֹת הַמְּצָדֽוֹת

וַתָּ֥עָז  And  prevailed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָזַז  
Sense: to be strong.
יַד־  the  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִדְיָ֖ן  of  Midian 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
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.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: 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.
מִפְּנֵ֨י  Because 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מִדְיָ֜ן  of  the  Midianites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.
עָשֽׂוּ  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָהֶ֣ם ׀  for  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: 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.
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.
הַמִּנְהָרוֹת֙  the  dens 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִנְהָרָה  
Sense: crevices, ravines, mountain clefts, den, dugout holes.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  which  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים  in  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הַמְּעָר֖וֹת  the  caves 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְעָרָה  
Sense: cave, den, hole.
הַמְּצָדֽוֹת  the  strongholds 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְצָד  
Sense: fort, stronghold, fastness.