Judges 6:13

Doubt Suffering Discouragement and depression God's presence

¹¹ Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

¹² And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

¹⁴ The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

¹⁵ “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
ASV: And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.
DARBY: And Gideon said to him, Ah my Lord, if Jehovah be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his miracles that our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? And now Jehovah hath cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.
BLB: And Gideon said to Him, “Please, my Lord, [if] YHWH is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where [are] all His miracles about which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Did not YHWH bring us up from Egypt?’ And YHWH has forsaken us and given us into the palm of Midian.”

ÅB: Men Gideon sa til ham: Hør på meg, Herre! Er Herren med oss, hvorfor har da alt dette rammet oss, og hvor er alle hans undergjerninger som våre fedre har fortalt oss om, idet de sa: Førte ikke Herren oss opp av Egypt? Men nå har Herren forlatt oss og gitt oss i midianittenes hånd.
OTB: Gideon svarte: “Unnskyld meg, min herre, men hvis Herren er med oss, hvorfor har alt dette hendt oss? Hvor er alle Hans underverker som våre forfedre fortalte oss om, og sa: ‘Førte ikke Herren oss opp fra Egypt?’ Men nå har Herren forlatt oss og overgitt oss til Midjan.”
B1930: Men Gideon sa til ham: Hør på mig, Herre! Er Herren med oss, hvorfor har da alt dette rammet oss, og hvor er alle hans undergjerninger som våre fedre har fortalt oss om, idet de sa: Førte ikke Herren oss op av Egypten? Men nu har Herren forlatt oss og gitt oss i midianittenes hånd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 77:7–9
“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again?
Read in context
2 Chronicles 15:2
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Read in context
Isaiah 59:1–2
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
Read in context
Psalms 44:1
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.
Read in context
Psalms 89:49
Where, O Lord, is Your loving devotion of old, which You faithfully swore to David?
Read in context
Genesis 25:22
But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD,
Read in context
Isaiah 63:15
Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained.
Read in context
Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Read in context