Bible Strands
Judges 4:8
Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Barak addresses Deborah after she reports the Lord’s promise to deliver Sisera. He states that his movement to the battlefield depends entirely on her accompanying him.
The words — The Hebrew אִם־ תֵּלְכִי עִמִּי (ʾim- telekhi ʿimmî, "if you will go with me") establishes a conditional clause that makes Deborah’s presence the prerequisite for Barak’s advance.
The thread — This structure of conditional reliance appears when Moses cites his inability to speak before God (Exodus 4:10) and when Peter cries for rescue as he sinks in the water (Matthew 14:30).
Why it lands — The text records Barak withholding compliance until a visible guarantee is provided. It requires a reader to decide whether to act on the command itself or to demand conditions that match their own comfort.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Cross-references
- Exodus 4:10 “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
- Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”