Judges 6:2

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator describes Israel’s condition during the seventh year of their oppression after they repeated covenant disobedience. The text records how Midianite dominance forced the Israelites to abandon open settlement for defensive locations.

The words — יַד־ מִדְיָן (yad Midyan) literally means “hand of Midian,” denoting their oppressive control. עָשׂוּ ('asu) translates to “they made,” describing the Israelites’ construction of shelters in mountains, caves, and strongholds.

The thread — The pattern of hiding in mountains, caves, and strongholds recurs in 1 Samuel 13:6 and Hebrews 11:38. This flight from open land fulfills the defeat and enemy rule warned in Leviticus 26:17.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that covenant failure produces tangible displacement and forced survival tactics. It requires the reader to trace how spiritual abandonment directly shapes physical geography and daily security.

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

וַתָּ֥עָזva./Ta.'ozand/ it prevailed יַד־yad-[the] hand of מִדְיָ֖ןmid.YanMidian עַל־'al-over יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsrael מִפְּנֵ֨יmi./pe.Nei<from>/ because of מִדְיָ֜ןmid.YanMidian עָשֽׂוּ'a.Suthey madeלָהֶ֣ם׀la./Hemfor <the>/ themselvesבְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsrael אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַמִּנְהָרוֹת֙ha./min.ha.rOtthe/ dens אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich בֶּֽהָרִ֔יםbe./ha.Rim[are] in the/ mountains וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַמְּעָר֖וֹתha./me.'a.Rotthe/ caves וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַמְּצָדֽוֹת׃ha./me.tza.Dotthe/ strongholds

King James Version

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

Cross-references

1 Samuel 13:6 Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
Hebrews 11:38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
Leviticus 26:17 And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
1 Samuel 14:11 So the two of them showed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, who exclaimed, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding!”
Deuteronomy 28:47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,
Revelation 6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.