And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

JUDGES 6:13KJV
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Judges 6:13 (KJV)

What does Judges 6:13 mean?

Judges 6:13 records Gideon questioning the angel of the LORD about Israel’s suffering, asking why, if God is truly with them, they are facing hardship and no longer seeing the miracles their ancestors experienced. Gideon expresses his doubt and confusion, feeling that God has abandoned Israel and allowed them to fall under the power of the Midianites.

Gideon is speaking to a divine messenger who has just greeted him, claiming that the LORD is with him. The setting is a time when Israel is oppressed by the Midianites, and Gideon’s words reflect the discouragement and confusion of the people. He recalls stories of God’s past deliverance from Egypt but contrasts them with the current reality, openly voicing his struggle to reconcile faith in God’s presence with the suffering he sees.

The Hebrew behind Judges 6:13

  • The word translated "forsaken" is עָזַב (ʿāzav), which means to abandon or leave behind. Gideon’s use of this word shows the depth of his feeling that God has left Israel alone in their trouble.
  • The word for "miracles" is פֶּלֶא (peleʾ), meaning wonders or extraordinary deeds. Gideon is specifically referencing the remarkable acts God performed in the past, highlighting the contrast with the present lack of such signs.
  • The name "LORD" is יְהוָה (YHWH, Yahweh), the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon uses this name to refer both to the God of his ancestors and to the one he feels has now abandoned them.

Why Judges 6:13 matters

  • This verse shows that questioning and doubt are not new; even biblical figures like Gideon struggled to understand God’s actions during hard times.
  • Gideon’s words set the stage for the rest of the story, highlighting the need for God’s intervention and the longing for renewal of God’s mighty acts.
  • The verse connects Israel’s present suffering with their collective memory of God’s past faithfulness, emphasizing the importance of remembering and wrestling with history in times of crisis.

Where else these words appear

“Oh” Hebrew H994 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 43:20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
  • Exodus 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
  • Judges 13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

“Gideon” Hebrew H1439 · used in 37 verses

  • Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
  • Judges 7:5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
  • Judges 8:11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

“forsaken” Hebrew H5203 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
  • 2 Samuel 5:18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
  • Isaiah 21:15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

“Midianites” Hebrew H4080 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 25:2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
  • Judges 6:2 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.
  • Judges 7:25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.