Judges 8:4

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them].

Complete Jewish Bible:

By now Gid'on and his three hundred men had come to the Yarden and crossed over. They were exhausted but were still pursuing the enemy.

Berean Standard Bible:

Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

American Standard Version:

And Gideon came to the Jordan, andpassed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Gideon^{H1439} came^{H935} to Jordan^{H3383}, and passed over^{H5674}, he, and the three^{H7969} hundred^{H3967} men^{H376} that were with him, faint^{H5889}, yet pursuing^{H7291} them.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Judges 8:4

Judges 8:4 is set within the context of the story of Gideon, a judge and military leader in the Old Testament who is called by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. The broader narrative tells of how Gideon, initially with an army of 32,000 men, is instructed by God to reduce his forces significantly to just 300 men. This reduction is meant to ensure that the victory over Midian would clearly be attributed to the power of God rather than the strength of Israel's army.

In Judges 8:4, we find Gideon and his small band of 300 men having just achieved a significant victory against the Midianite forces. They are now crossing the Jordan River in pursuit of the remaining enemy soldiers. The verse highlights the physical state of Gideon's troops, describing them as "faint, yet pursuing them." This indicates that despite their exhaustion, possibly from the previous battle and the long march, they continue to relentlessly chase after the enemy. The theme here is one of perseverance and trust in God's guidance, as Gideon and his men push through their fatigue, relying on divine strength to complete their mission.

The historical context of this verse is the period of the Judges, a time when Israel was not yet a united monarchy and was instead governed by a series of leaders or "judges" who would rise up to deliver the people from various oppressors. The story of Gideon is one of many in the book of Judges that illustrates the cyclical nature of the Israelites' faithfulness to God, their fall into sin and idolatry, their subsequent subjugation by foreign enemies, and their eventual deliverance through a judge raised up by God. Gideon's pursuit across the Jordan is emblematic of the relentless pursuit of justice and deliverance that characterizes the role of a judge in this era.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H1439
   There are 37 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גִּדְעוֹן
   Transliteration: Gidʻôwn
   Pronunciation: ghid-ohn'
   Description: from גָּדַע; feller (i.e. warrior); Gidon, an Israelite; Gideon.
   
2. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3383
   There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יַרְדֵּן
   Transliteration: Yardên
   Pronunciation: yar-dane'
   Description: from יָרַד; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine; Jordan.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5674
   There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָבַר
   Transliteration: ʻâbar
   Pronunciation: aw-bar'
   Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath.
   
5. Strong's Number: H7969
   There are 381 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁלוֹשׁ
   Transliteration: shâlôwsh
   Pronunciation: shaw-loshe'
   Description: or שָׁלֹשׁ; masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה; or שְׁלֹשָׁה; a primitive number; three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice; [phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare שָׁלִישׁ.
   
6. Strong's Number: H3967
   There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֵאָה
   Transliteration: mêʼâh
   Pronunciation: may-aw'
   Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.
   
7. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
8. Strong's Number: H5889
   There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָיֵף
   Transliteration: ʻâyêph
   Pronunciation: aw-yafe'
   Description: from עָיֵף; languid; faint, thirsty, weary.
   
9. Strong's Number: H7291
   There are 135 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָדַף
   Transliteration: râdaph
   Pronunciation: raw-daf'
   Description: a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by); chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).