Bible Strands
Judges 6:33
Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports a military mobilization immediately following Gideon’s destruction of Baal’s altar and his renaming as Jerubbaal. The account places a hostile coalition at the Valley of Jezreel after they cross the Jordan River.
The words — The Hebrew verb נֶאֶסְפּוּ (ne'essū) translates literally as "they gathered," reinforced by יַחְדָּו (yachdāw) for "together," indicating a deliberate assembly. The verb וַיַּעַבְרוּ (wa-yyaʿăḇrû) means "and they passed over," denoting the physical crossing of the Jordan.
The thread — The same groups appear in Judges 6:3 as the recurring raiders who desolate Israel during planting seasons. Their valley encampment parallels the territorial and military tensions described in Joshua 17:16.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that organized opposition follows spiritual compromise. It calls for a clear-eyed assessment of how collective rebellion produces immediate, tangible consequences.
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
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
Cross-references
- Joshua 17:16 “The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the Valley of Jezreel.”
- Judges 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
- Psalms 27:2 When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell.
- Isaiah 8:9 Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
- Joshua 3:16 the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
- Joshua 19:18 Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
- Judges 7:24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
- Judges 8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.
- 1 Kings 18:45 Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.