The Meaning of Judges 7:11 Explained

Judges 7:11

KJV: And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

YLT: and thou hast heard what they speak, and afterwards are thy hands strengthened, and thou hast gone down against the camp.' And he goeth down, he and Phurah his young man, unto the extremity of the fifties who are in the camp;

Darby: and you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp.

ASV: and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt hear  what they say;  and afterward  shall thine hands  be strengthened  to go down  unto the host.  Then went he down  with Phurah  his servant  unto the outside  of the armed men  that [were] in the host. 

What does Judges 7:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 7:9-23 - The Sword Of Jehovah And Of Gideon
Gideon asked for the sign of the fleece, but God, without his asking, gave him that of the barley-cake. It was only barley-bread, the cheapest and commonest kind of food, but it overthrew a tent. Gideon was quick to recognize the symbol of his weakness and helplessness, but he recognized also the presage of victory. Lying there in the moonless night, with his head toward that tent, he worshiped and hastened back to his camp. We remember what Jesus made of barley-loaves. See John 6:9; John 6:13.
The blare of the trumpets, the breaking of the pitchers, the flashing of the lights, and the shouting from three sides of the camp startled the sleeping host into panic. Surely this scene was in Paul's thought when he said that God's light had shone forth on the midnight darkness of that age; and then confessed that the light was contained in the earthen vessel of mortality, "that the excellency of the power might be of God." Let us not be too greatly disturbed when the sorrows and persecutions of earth break up our peace and strength-this is the breaking of the earthen vessel. Our business must be to see that the torch burns within, 2 Corinthians 4:6, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 7

1  Gideon's army of thirty-two thousand is brought to three hundred
9  He is encouraged by the dream and interpretation of the burley cake
16  His plan of trumpets and lamps in pitchers
24  The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb

What do the individual words in Judges 7:11 mean?

and you shall hear what they say and afterward shall be strengthened your hands and to go down against the camp And went down he and with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who [were] in the camp
וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ מַה־ יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ וְאַחַר֙ תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יָדֶ֔יךָ וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיֵּ֤רֶד הוּא֙ וּפֻרָ֣ה נַעֲר֔וֹ אֶל־ קְצֵ֥ה הַחֲמֻשִׁ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה

וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙  and  you  shall  hear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וְאַחַר֙  and  afterward 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה  shall  be  strengthened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
יָדֶ֔יךָ  your  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְיָרַדְתָּ֖  and  to  go  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה  against  the  camp 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
וַיֵּ֤רֶד  And  went  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
וּפֻרָ֣ה  and  with  Purah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֻּרָה  
Sense: the servant of Gideon, probably his armour-bearer.
נַעֲר֔וֹ  his  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
קְצֵ֥ה  the  outpost 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
הַחֲמֻשִׁ֖ים  of  the  armed  men 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: חָמַשׁ  
Sense: in battle array, arrayed for battle by fives, armed.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה  in  the  camp 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.