Judges 6:15
New International Version
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

New Living Translation
“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”

English Standard Version
And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Berean Standard Bible
“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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

New American Standard Bible
But he said to Him, “O Lord, how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

NASB 1995
He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

NASB 1977
And he said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But he said to Him, “O Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

Amplified Bible
But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.”

Christian Standard Bible
He said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He said to Him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to him: “I beg of you, my Lord, by what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is least in Menasheh, and I am the least of the house my father”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Gedeon said to him, Be gracious with me, my Lord: whereby shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is weakened in Manasse, and I am the least in my father's house.

Contemporary English Version
Gideon replied, "But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am."

Douay-Rheims Bible
He answered and said: I beseech thee, my lord, wherewith shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the meanest in Manasses, and I am the least in my father's house.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Gideon said to him, "Excuse me, sir! How can I rescue Israel? Look at my whole family. It's the weakest one in Manasseh. And me? I'm the least important member of my family."

Good News Translation
Gideon replied, "But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family."

International Standard Version
"Right…," Gideon responded. "Sir, how will I deliver Israel? Look—my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I'm the youngest in my father's household."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.'

Literal Standard Version
And he says to Him, “O my Lord, with what do I save Israel? Behold, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in the house of my father.”

Majority Standard Bible
“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.”

New American Bible
But he answered him, “Please, my Lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.”

NET Bible
Gideon said to him, "But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family."

New Revised Standard Version
He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

New Heart English Bible
He said to him, "O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Look, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to him, O my Lord, by what means shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

World English Bible
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.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto him, 'O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief is weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Call of Gideon
14The 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.” 16“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”…

Cross References
Exodus 3:11
But Moses asked God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Judges 6:11
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.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to him, Oh my Lord, with which shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

wherewith

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?

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.

Jeremiah 1:6
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

my family is poor.

Exodus 18:21-25
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: …

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?

1 Samuel 18:23
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

the least

Genesis 32:10
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

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.

1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

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Chief Clan Deliver House Israel Least Manasseh Manas'seh Means Poor Poorest Save Saviour Weak Wherewith Youngest
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Chief Clan Deliver House Israel Least Manasseh Manas'seh Means Poor Poorest Save Saviour Weak Wherewith Youngest
Judges 6
1. The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian
8. A prophet rebukes them
11. An angel sends Gideon for their deliverance
17. Gideon's present is consumed with fire
24. Gideon destroys Baal's altar; offers a sacrifice upon the altar Jehovah-shalom
28. Joash defends his son, and calls him Jerubbaal
33. Gideon's army
36. Gideon's signs














(15) Oh my Lord.--Here our version deliberately adopts the reading adoni, as in Judges 6:13, and the reason for this reading is that Gideon does not appear to have fully recognised the angel till his disappearance (Judges 6:22). The reading of the Hebrew MSS., however, is Adonai, "Lord;" and if it be correct, we must suppose that Gideon addresses God as recognising that the message came from Him.

Wherewith shall I save Israel?--We repeatedly find this preliminary diffidence of humility in those whom God selects for His service. (Comp. Exodus 4:1-13; 1Samuel 9:21; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 1:6-7, &c.) . . .

Verse 15. - Wherewith shall I save Israel? etc. Compare the unwillingness of Moses (Exodus 3:11; Exodus 4:10, 13), of Saul (1 Samuel 10:21, 22), of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6), of Amos (Amos 7:14, 15), and of St. Peter (Luke 5:8). Also in ecclesiastical history that of Ambrose, Gregory the Great, and others. The least fit are usually the most forward, the most fit the most backward, to undertake great offices (Judges 9:8-15). True humility is the usual companion of true greatness (see 2 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 3:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Please,
בִּ֣י (bî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 994: Oh that!, with leave, if it please

Lord,”
אֲדֹנָ֔י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

[Gideon] asked,
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“how
בַּמָּ֥ה (bam·māh)
Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can I deliver
אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ (’ō·wō·šî·a‘)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

Israel?
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Indeed,
הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

my clan
אַלְפִּי֙ (’al·pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 504: A family, an ox, cow

is the weakest
הַדַּ֣ל (had·dal)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1800: Dangling, weak, thin

in Manasseh,
בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה (bim·naš·šeh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4519: Manasseh -- 'causing to forget', a son of Joseph, also a king of Judah, also two Israelites

and I
וְאָנֹכִ֥י (wə·’ā·nō·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

am the youngest
הַצָּעִ֖יר (haṣ·ṣā·‘îr)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6810: Little, insignificant, young

in my father’s
אָבִֽי׃ (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

house.”
בְּבֵ֥ית (bə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT History: Judges 6:15 He said to him Oh Lord (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 6:14
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