Judges 6 4

Judges 6:4 kjv

And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

Judges 6:4 nkjv

Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.

Judges 6:4 niv

They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

Judges 6:4 esv

They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.

Judges 6:4 nlt

camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.

Judges 6 verses

Judges 6 4 Meaning

Judges 6:4 describes the severe and pervasive oppression of the Israelites by the Midianites and their allies. These nomadic invaders established camps across Israelite territory, systematically destroying all agricultural produce and stripping the land of livestock from one end of their accessible region, symbolically referenced as reaching the very edge of the promised land near Gaza. This verse portrays total economic devastation and complete stripping of their sustenance, leaving the Israelites utterly impoverished and facing starvation.

Judges 6 4 Context

Judges chapter 6 introduces a new cycle of Israel's apostasy, divine judgment, repentance, and deliverance, following the pattern established in Judges 2. The Israelites once again "did evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judg 6:1), specifically turning to Baal and Asherah worship. As a consequence, God "gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years" (Judg 6:1). The Midianites, nomadic tribes primarily from the east, allied with the Amalekites and other "people of the East." Their strategy was not merely punitive raiding but an annual campaign, timed during harvest, to systematically devastate Israel's agricultural output and seize their livestock. This comprehensive destruction, described in Judges 6:4, aimed to prevent Israel from storing any provisions, thus reducing them to extreme poverty and a state of near-famine, forcing them to retreat to mountains and caves. This oppressive cycle sets the stage for God's call to Gideon.

Judges 6 4 Word analysis

• And they encamped against them: The Hebrew, yakhanu aleihem (יַחֲנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם), denotes establishing a military camp or stationing themselves. This implies a settled, sustained presence, not merely hit-and-run raids. It signifies complete territorial control and dominance, indicating prolonged oppression and systematic looting rather than fleeting attacks.
• and destroyed: The verb is vayyashḥitu (וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ), from the root shachat (שָׁחַת), meaning to spoil, ruin, lay waste, or corrupt. It conveys thorough, devastating annihilation, leaving nothing behind. It reflects a destructive intent that went beyond simply taking sustenance, aiming to completely incapacitate and dispossess.
• the increase of the earth: Yevul ha'aretz (יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ) refers specifically to the agricultural produce, the harvest or crops of the land. This highlights Israel's dependence on agriculture and how the invaders attacked their primary means of livelihood, directly targeting their food supply.
• till thou come unto Gaza: Ad bo'akha Azza (עַד־בּוֹאֲךָ עַזָּה) provides the geographical extent of the devastation. Gaza, a major Philistine city, marked the southwestern boundary of the land Israel was promised and settled. This phrase indicates the invaders' reach covered a significant portion of Israelite territory, from wherever they entered in the east/north (perhaps from the Jordan Valley) down to the border near the Mediterranean coast. It underscores the pervasive nature of the desolation across Israel's agricultural heartlands.
• and left no sustenance for Israel: Velo yash'iru mikhyah leYisrael (וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁאִירוּ מִחְיָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Mikhyah (מִחְיָה) signifies provisions, food, or anything by which one lives. This phrase emphatically states that absolutely no food or means of living were spared, reinforcing the idea of total economic ruin and impending famine for the Israelites.
• neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass: Tso'n u'vakar vaḥamor (צֹאן וּבָקָר וַחֲמוֹר). This enumeration of common livestock emphasizes the totality of the seizure. Sheep (for meat, wool), oxen (for plowing, meat, transport), and donkeys (for transport, labor) were crucial assets in ancient Israelite agrarian society. Their loss meant not only food deprivation but also the destruction of labor capacity for future cultivation and their primary forms of wealth.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth...": This highlights a systematic campaign. The "encamping" implies an organized, sustained military presence, not merely sporadic raids. Their primary objective was the "increase of the earth," which was Israel's sustenance and economic backbone. This was a targeted strategy to debilitate the nation by causing an engineered famine.
• "...till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel...": The geographical reach "to Gaza" indicates the widespread impact across a large, fertile part of the land promised by God. The consequence, "no sustenance for Israel," portrays a complete, nation-wide deprivation. It points to a total and efficient policy of economic warfare, stripping God's people of all means of survival and self-sufficiency.
• "...neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.": This triple mention of livestock specifies the concrete elements of the comprehensive destruction. It covers all forms of capital and resources necessary for an agricultural society—food, transportation, labor, and assets. The exhaustive list underscores the meticulousness of the Midianite despoliation and the utterly destitute state of Israel.

Judges 6 4 Bonus section

The Midianite attacks described were likely annual events, specifically timed to coincide with the harvest season (as implied by their focus on "increase of the earth" and the continuous nature of the threat mentioned in v. 3). This timing ensured maximum damage, preventing the Israelites from gathering food for the year and continuously depleting their reserves. This made long-term survival impossible and highlighted the extreme famine that gripped the land, driving the Israelites to desperate measures like hiding their produce in fortified places or caves (Judg 6:2). The thoroughness of the despoliation can also be seen as a direct challenge to the Canaanite gods of fertility and harvest, such as Baal. While Israel had turned to these idols for agricultural blessing, the reality of their suffering under Midianite oppression showed the utter impotence of these false gods and the sovereign power of the Lord who both gives and takes away, for corrective purposes.

Judges 6 4 Commentary

Judges 6:4 vividly illustrates the devastating consequences of Israel's apostasy. The Midianites and their allies, allowed by divine judgment, became the instruments of chastisement, implementing a systematic campaign of economic warfare. They did not just raid; they encamped and thoroughly destroyed the nation's ability to feed itself. This was a direct attack on Israel's very existence, reducing God's chosen people to dire straits where survival became a daily struggle. The "increase of the earth" (their crops) was annihilated, and their essential livestock (sheep, oxen, asses) was seized, representing total economic collapse. The mention of the extent "till thou come unto Gaza" emphasizes that this was not a localized problem but a pervasive blight across much of their settled territory. This intentional impoverishment served to crush the spirit of the Israelites, driving them to cry out to the Lord in desperation, fulfilling the cycle of Judges. The extreme suffering underscored the severity of their turning away from the faithful Provider, setting the stage for the narrative of God's chosen deliverer, Gideon, to emerge.