Judges 7:24-25

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. ¹  Take control of the fords of the streams ²  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” ³  When all the Ephraimites had assembled, ⁴  they took control of the fords ⁵  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. ⁶  They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb ⁷  in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites ⁸  and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. ⁹ 

Psalms 44:3

44:3 For they did not conquer ¹⁰  the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength, ¹¹ 

but rather by your power, ¹²  strength ¹³  and good favor, ¹⁴ 

for you were partial to ¹⁵  them.

Psalms 115:1

Psalm 115 ¹⁶ 

115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!

But to your name bring honor, ¹⁷ 

for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. ¹⁸ 

Psalms 118:14-16

118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; ¹⁹ 

he has become my deliverer.” ²⁰ 

118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. ²¹ 

The Lord’s right hand conquers, ²² 

118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, ²³ 

the Lord’s right hand conquers.

John 4:37

4:37 For in this instance the saying is true, ²⁴  ‘One sows and another reaps.’

Romans 12:3

Conduct in Humility

12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you ²⁵  a measure of faith. ²⁶ 

Romans 12:6

12:6 And we have different gifts ²⁷  according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.

Romans 15:18-19

15:18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience ²⁸  of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 15:19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ²⁹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

[7:24]  ¹ tn Heb “to meet Midian.”

[7:24]  ² tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”

[7:24]  ³ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).

[7:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”

[7:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “they captured the waters.”

[7:25]  ⁶ sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.

[7:25]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).

[44:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “take possession of.”

[44:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.

[44:3]  ¹² tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).

[44:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “your arm.”

[44:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[44:3]  ¹⁵ tn Or “favorable toward.”

[115:1]  ¹⁶ sn Psalm 115. The psalmist affirms that Israel’s God is superior to pagan idols and urges Israel to place their confidence in him.

[115:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “give glory.”

[115:1]  ¹⁸ sn The psalmist asks the Lord to demonstrate his loyal love and faithfulness, not simply so Israel may benefit, but primarily so that the Lord will receive honor among the nations, who will recognize, contrary to their present view (see v. 2), that Israel’s God is committed to his people.

[118:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”

[118:14]  ²⁰ tn Or “salvation.”

[118:15]  ²¹ tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”

[118:15]  ²² tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).

[118:16]  ²³ tn Heb “exalts.”

[4:37]  ²⁴ tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after ἀληθινός (alhqino") has not been translated.

[12:3]  ²⁵ tn The words “of you” have been supplied for clarity.

[12:3]  ²⁶ tn Or “to each as God has distributed a measure of faith.”

[12:6]  ²⁷ tn This word comes from the same root as “grace” in the following clause; it means “things graciously given,” “grace-gifts.”

[15:18]  ²⁸ tn Grk “unto obedience.”

[2:3]  ²⁹ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”