Richtere 6:2

2 Als nu de hand der Midianieten sterk werd over Israel, maakten zich de kinderen Israels, vanwege de Midianieten, de holen, die in de bergen zijn, en de spelonken, en de vestingen.

Richtere 6:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 6:2

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel
They were too strong for them, and overcame them, and brought them into subjection to them, and no wonder, when the Lord delivered them into their hand:

and because of the Midianites;
because of their usage of them, their manner of coming upon them yearly, and pillaging and plundering their substance, as after related:

the children of Israel made them dens which are in the mountains;
the word for "dens" has the signification of light in it, and are so called either by an antiphrasis, because they were dark, or, as Kimchi thinks, because they had a window at the top of them, which let in the light

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 but Ben Gersom conjectures they were torches, which gave a great light, and when they that held them saw from the mountains the Midianites, by these torches they made a signal to the Israelites to take care and hide themselves and their substance:

and caves, and strong holds;
the caves were for the poorer sort, and the strong holds for the richer to retire to with their goods; though, according to Jarchi, the latter were no other than fences they made in woods, by cutting down trees, and setting them round about them, perhaps much the same as the thickets, ( 1 Samuel 13:6 ) .

F1 So David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 90. 3. or "because men flowed and flocked to them for safety"; so Buxtorf.

Richtere 6:2 In-Context

1 Maar de kinderen Israels deden, dat kwaad was in de ogen des HEEREN; zo gaf hen de HEERE in de hand der Midianieten, zeven jaren.

2 Als nu de hand der Midianieten sterk werd over Israel, maakten zich de kinderen Israels, vanwege de Midianieten, de holen, die in de bergen zijn, en de spelonken, en de vestingen.

3 Want het geschiedde, als Israel gezaaid had, zo kwamen de Midianieten op, en de Amalekieten, en die van het oosten kwamen ook op tegen hen.

4 En zij legerden zich tegen hen, en verdierven de opkomst des lands, tot daar gij komt te Gaza; en zij lieten geen leeftocht overig in Israel, noch klein vee, noch os, noch ezel.

5 Want zij kwamen op met hun vee en hun tenten; zij kwamen gelijk de sprinkhanen in menigte, dat men hen en hun kemelen niet tellen kon; en zij kwamen in het land, om dat te verderven.