Judges 6:15

Identity and self-worth Doubt Humility Fear

¹³ 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.

¹⁴ And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

¹⁶ And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

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

Compare

BSB: “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.”
KJV: And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
WEB: He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
ASV: And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father`s house.
DARBY: And he said to him, Ah Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
BLB: And he said to Him, “Please, my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan [is] the poorest in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in the house of my father.”

ÅB: Men han sa til ham: Hør på meg, Herre! Hvordan skal jeg frelse Israel? Min slekt er jo den ringeste i Manasse, og jeg er den yngste i min fars hus.
OTB: Gideon sa: “Unnskyld meg, min herre, men hvordan kan jeg frelse Israel? Min slekt er den svakeste i Manasse, og jeg er den minste i min familie.”
B1930: Men han sa til ham: Hør på mig, Herre! Hvorledes skal jeg frelse Israel? Min ætt er jo den ringeste i Manasse, og jeg er den yngste i min fars hus.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 3:11
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
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1 Samuel 9:21
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
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Exodus 4:10
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
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Jeremiah 1:6
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
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Ephesians 3:8
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
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Luke 1:34
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
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Micah 5:2
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
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Jeremiah 50:45
Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.
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