Shìshījì 6

1 Yǐsèliè rén yòu xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi è de shì , Yēhéhuá jiù bǎ tāmen jiāo zaì Mǐdiàn rén shǒu lǐ qī nián .

2 Mǐdiàn rén yēzhì Yǐsèliè rén . Yǐsèliè rén yīnwei Mǐdiàn rén , jiù zaì shān zhōng wā xué , wā dòng , jiànzào yíng zhaì .

3 Yǐsèliè rén mĕi fùng sǎzhǒng zhī hòu , Mǐdiàn rén , Yàmǎlì rén , hé dōngfāngrén dōu shàng lái gōngdǎ tāmen ,

4 Duì zhe tāmen ān yíng , huǐhuaì tǔchǎn , zhídào Jiāsà , méiyǒu gĕi Yǐsèliè rén liú xià shíwù , niú , yáng , lü yĕ méiyǒu liú xià .

5 Yīnwei nàxiē rén daì zhe shēngchù zhàngpéng lái , xiàng huángchóng nàyàng duō , rén hé luòtuo wú shǔ , dōu jìnrù guóneì , huǐhuaì quán dì .

6 Yǐsèliè rén yīn Mǐdiàn rén de yuángù , jíqí qióngfá , jiù hū qiú Yēhéhuá .

7 Yǐsèliè rén yīn Mǐdiàn rén de yuángù , hū qiú Yēhéhuá ,

8 Yēhéhuá jiù chāiqiǎn xiānzhī dào Yǐsèliè rén nàli , duì tāmen shuō , Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén rúcǐ shuō , wǒ céng lǐng nǐmen cóng Āijí shàng lái , chū le wèi nú zhī jiā ,

9 Jiù nǐmen tuōlí Āijí rén de shǒu , bìng tuōlí yīqiè qīyē nǐmen zhī rén de shǒu , bǎ tāmen cóng nǐmen miànqián gǎn chū , jiāng tāmende de cìgĕi nǐmen .

10 Yòu duì nǐmen shuō , wǒ shì Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén . nǐmen zhù zaì Yàmólìrén de dì , bùkĕ jìngwèi tāmende shén . nǐmen jìng bù tīng cóng wǒde huà .

11 Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ dào le é Fú lā , zuò zaì yà bǐ Yǐxiè zú rén yuē a shī de xiàngshù xià . yuē a shī de érzi Jīdiàn zhèngzaì jiǔ zhà nàli dá maìzi , wéi yào fángbeì Mǐdiàn rén .

12 Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ xiàng Jīdiàn xiǎnxiàn , duì tā shuō , dà néng de yǒng shì a , Yēhéhuá yǔ nǐ tóng zaì .

13 Jīdiàn shuō , Zhǔ a , Yēhéhuá ruò yǔ wǒmen tóng zaì , wǒmen hé zhì zāoyù zhè yīqiè shì ne . wǒmen de lièzǔ bú shì xiàng wǒmen shuō Yēhéhuá lǐng wǒmen cóng Āijí shàng lái ma . Tānàyàng qímiào de zuòwéi zaì nǎli ne . xiànzaì tā què diūqì wǒmen , jiāng wǒmen jiāo zaì Mǐdiàn rén shǒu lǐ .

14 Yēhéhuá guānkàn Jīdiàn , shuō , nǐ kào zhe nǐ zhè nénglì qù cóng Mǐdiàn rén shǒu lǐ zhĕngjiù Yǐsèliè rén , bú shì wǒ chāiqiǎn nǐ qù de ma .

15 Jīdiàn shuō , Zhǔ a , wǒ yǒu hé néng zhĕngjiù Yǐsèliè rén ne . wǒ jiā zaì Mǎnáxī zhīpaì zhōng shì zhì pínqióng de . wǒ zaì wǒ fù jiā shì zhì wēi xiǎo de .

16 Yēhéhuá duì tā shuō , wǒ yǔ nǐ tóng zaì , nǐ jiù bì jī dá Mǐdiàn rén , rú jī dá yī rén yíyàng .

17 Jīdiàn shuō , wǒ ruò zaì nǐ yǎnqián méng ēn , qiú nǐ gĕi wǒ yī gè zhèngjù , shǐ wǒ zhīdào yǔ wǒ shuōhuà de jiù shì zhǔ .

18 Qiú nǐ búyào líkāi zhèlǐ , dĕng wǒ guī huí jiāng lǐwù daì lái gōng zaì nǐ miànqián . zhǔ shuō , wǒ bì dĕng nǐ huí lái .

19 Jīdiàn qù yùbeì le yī zhǐ shānyánggāo , yòng yī yīfǎ xì miàn zuò le wú jiào bǐng , jiāng ròu fàng zaì kuāng neì , bǎ tāng shèng zaì hú zhōng , daì dào xiàngshù xià , xiàn zaì shǐzhĕ miànqián .

20 Shén de shǐzhĕ fēnfu Jīdiàn shuō , jiāng ròu hé wú jiào bǐng fàng zaì zhè pánshí shàng , bǎ tāng dǎo chūlai . tā jiù zhèyàng xíng le .

21 Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ shēn chū shǒu neì de zhàng , zhàng tóu ái le ròu hé wú jiào bǐng , jiù yǒu huǒ cóng pánshí zhōng chūlai , shāo jǐn le ròu hé wú jiào bǐng . Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ yĕ jiù bú jiàn le .

22 Jīdiàn jiàn tā shì Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ , jiù shuō , āi zāi . zhǔ Yēhéhuá a , wǒ bù hǎo le , yīnwei wǒ dí miàn kànjian Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ .

23 Yēhéhuá duì tā shuō , nǐ fàngxīn , búyào jùpà , nǐ bì bù zhì sǐ .

24 Yúshì Jīdiàn zaì nàli wèi Yēhéhuá zhú le yī zuò tán , qǐmíng jiào Yēhéhuá Shālóng ( jiù shì Yēhéhuá cì píngān de yìsi ) . zhè tán zaì yà bǐ Yǐxiè zú de é Fú lā zhídào rújīn .

25 Dāng nà yè , Yēhéhuá fēnfu Jīdiàn shuō , nǐ qǔ nǐ fùqin de niú lái , jiù shì ( huò zuò hé ) nà qī suì de dì èr zhǐ niú , bìng chāihuǐ nǐ fùqin wèi bā lì suǒ zhú de tán , kǎn xià tán páng de mùǒu ,

26 Zaì zhè pánshí ( yuánwén zuò bǎo zhàng ) shàng zhĕng zhĕngqí qí dì wèi Yēhéhuá nǐde shén zhú yī zuò tán , jiāng dì èr zhǐ niú xiàn wèi Fánjì , yòng nǐ suǒ kǎn xià de mùǒu zuò chái .

27 Jīdiàn jiù cóng tā púrén zhōng tiǎo le shí gèrén , zhào zzhe Yēhéhuá fēnfu tāde xíng le . tā yīn pà fù jiā hé bĕn chéng de rén , bù gǎn zaì báizhòu xíng zhè shì , jiù zaì yè jiān xíng le .

28 Chéng lǐ de rén qīngzǎo qǐlai , jiàn bā lì de tán chāihuǐ , tán páng de mùǒu kǎn xià , dì èr zhǐ niú xiàn zaì xīn zhú de tán shàng ,

29 Jiù bǐcǐ shuō , zhè shì shì shuí zuò de ne . tāmen fǎng chá zhī hòu , jiù shuō , zhè shì yuē a shī de érzi Jīdiàn zuò de .

30 Chéng lǐ de rén duì yuē a shī shuō , jiāng nǐ érzi jiāo chūlai , hǎo zhìsǐ tā . yīnwei tā chāihuǐ le bā lì de tán , kǎn xià tán páng de mùǒu .

31 Yuē a shī huídá zhàn zhe gōngjī tāde zhòngrén shuō , nǐmen shì wèi bā lì zhēnglùn ma . nǐmen yào jiù tā ma . shuí wèi tā zhēnglùn , chèn zǎo jiāng shuí zhìsǐ . bā lì ruò guǒ shì shén , yǒu rén chāihuǐ tāde tán , ràng tā wèi zìjǐ zhēnglùn ba .

32 Suǒyǐ dāng rì rén chēng Jīdiàn wèi yé lù bā lì , yìsi shuō , tā chāihuǐ bā lì de tán , ràng bā lì yǔ tā zhēnglùn .

33 Nàshí , Mǐdiàn rén , Yàmǎlì rén , hé dōngfāngrén dōu jùjí guō hé , zaì yé sī liè píngyuán ān yíng .

34 Yēhéhuá de líng jiàng zaì Jīdiàn shēnshang , tā jiù chuī jiǎo . yà bǐ Yǐxiè zú dōu jùjí gēnsuí tā .

35 Tā dǎfa rén zǒu biàn Mǎnáxī dì , Mǎnáxī rén yĕ jùjí gēnsuí tā . yòu dǎfa rén qù jiàn Yàshè rén , Xībùlún rén , Náfútālì rén , tāmen yĕ dōu chūlai yǔ tāmen huìhé .

36 Jīdiàn duì shén shuō , nǐ ruò guǒ zhào zhe suǒ shuō de huà , jiè wǒ shǒu zhĕngjiù Yǐsèliè rén ,

37 Wǒ jiù bǎ yī tuán yáng maó fàng zaì hécháng shàng , ruò dān shì yáng maó shàng yǒu lùshuǐ , biéde dìfang dōu shì gān de , wǒ jiù zhīdào nǐ bì zhào zhe suǒ shuō de huà , jiè wǒ shǒu zhĕngjiù Yǐsèliè rén .

38 Cì rì zǎochen Jīdiàn qǐlai , jiàn guǒrán shì zhèyàng . jiāng yáng maó jǐ yī jǐ , cóng yáng maó zhōng níng chū mǎn pén de lùshuǐ lái .

39 Jīdiàn yòu duì shén shuō , qiú nǐ búyào xiàng wǒ fānù , wǒ zaì shuō zhè yī cì , ràng wǒ jiāng yáng maó zaì shì yī cì . dàn yuàn yáng maó shì gān de , biéde dìfang dōu yǒu lùshuǐ .

40 Zhè yè shén yĕ rúcǐ xíng , dú yáng maó shàng shì gān de , biéde dìfang dōu yǒu lùshuǐ .

Shìshījì 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

Israel oppressed by Midianites. (1-6) Israel rebuked by a prophet. (7-10) Gideon set to deliver Israel. (11-24) Gideon destroys Baal's altar. (25-32) Signs given him. (33-40)

Verses 1-6 Israel's sin was renewed, and Israel's troubles were repeated. Let all that sin expect to suffer. The Israelites hid themselves in dens and caves; such was the effect of a guilty conscience. Sin dispirits men. The invaders left no food for Israel, except what was taken into the caves. They prepared that for Baal with which God should have been served, now God justly sends an enemy to take it away in the season thereof.

Verses 7-10 They cried to God for a deliverer, and he sent them a prophet to teach them. When God furnishes a land with faithful ministers, it is a token that he has mercy in store for it. He charges them with rebellion against the Lord; he intends to bring them to repentance. Repentance is real when the sinfulness of sin, as disobedience to God, is chiefly lamented.

Verses 11-24 Gideon was a man of a brave, active spirit, yet in obscurity through the times: he is here stirred up to undertake something great. It was very sure that the Lord was with him, when his Angel was with him. Gideon was weak in faith, which made it hard to reconcile the assurances of the presence of God with the distress to which Israel was brought. The Angel answered his objections. He told him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer, there needed no more. Bishop Hall says, While God calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. God delights to advance the humble. Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed. Now, under the influences of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes such as Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God, that if we have found grace in his sight, he would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of his Spirit there, The Angel turned the meat into an offering made by fire; showing that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God, who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make himself a sacrifice. Hereby a sign was given to Gideon, that he had found grace in God's sight. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and curse, a message from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to expect good tidings thence. In this world, it is very awful to have any converse with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage failed him. But God spoke peace to him.

Verses 25-32 See the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great Sacrifice, no good is to be expected. God, who has all hearts in his hands, influenced Joash to appear for his son against the advocates for Baal, though he had joined formerly in the worship of Baal. Let us do our duty, and trust God with our safety. Here is a challenge to Baal, to do either good or evil; the result convinced his worshippers of their folly, in praying to one to help them that could not avenge himself.

Verses 33-40 These signs are truly miraculous, and very significant. Gideon and his men were going to fight the Midianites; could God distinguish between a small fleece of Israel, and the vast floor of Midian? Gideon is made to know that God could do so. Is Gideon desirous that the dew of Divine grace might come down upon himself in particular? He sees the fleece wet with dew to assure him of it. Does he desire that God will be as the dew to all Israel? Behold, all the ground is wet. What cause we sinners of the Gentiles have, to bless the Lord that the dew of heavenly blessings, once confined to Israel, is now sent to all the inhabitants of the earth! Yet still the means of grace are in different measures, according to the purposes of God. In the same congregation, one man's soul is like Gideon's moistened fleece, another like the dry ground.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 6

In this chapter we have an account of the distressed condition Israel was in through the Midianites, Jud 6:1-6, of a prophet being sent unto them to reprieve them for their sins, Jud 6:7-10 of an angel appearing to Gideon, with an order to him to go and save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Jud 6:11-16 and of a sign given him by the angel, whereby he knew this order was of God, Jud 6:17-24, and of the reformation from idolatry in his father's family he made upon this, throwing down the altar of Baal, and building one for the Lord, Jud 6:25-32, and of the preparation he made to fight the Midianites and others, Jud 6:33-35, but first desired a sign of the Lord, that Israel would be saved by his hand, which was granted and repeated, Jud 6:36-40.