Judges 6:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east would come up and attack them.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהָיָ֖ה אִם־זָרַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעָלָ֨ה מִדְיָ֧ן וֽ͏ַעֲמָלֵ֛ק וּבְנֵי־קֶ֖דֶם וְעָל֥וּ עָלָֽיו׃

Transliteration

wə-hāyâ if zāraʿ yiśrāʾēl and wə-ʿālâ midyān wa-ʿămālēq and bənê-qedem and wə-ʿālû ʿālāyw

Grammar Details

• *wə-hāyâ*: waw consecutive + qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular - and it happened/was
• *zāraʿ*: qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular - sowed/planted
• *wə-ʿālâ*: waw consecutive + qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular - and came up/ascended
• *wa-ʿămālēq*: waw conjunction + proper noun - and Amalek
• *bənê-qedem*: construct noun phrase - sons/people of the east
• *wə-ʿālû*: waw consecutive + qal perfect 3rd person plural - and they came up/ascended
• *ʿālāyw*: preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - against him/it

Word Meanings

• *wə-hāyâ*: and it happened/and it came to pass/whenever
• *zāraʿ*: sowed/planted/seeded
• *ʿālâ*: came up/ascended/attacked/invaded

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And whan Israel sowed eny thinge, ye Madianites and Amalechites, and the children towarde the south came vp vpon them, and pitched their tetes agaynst them,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  When Israel had sowen, then came vp the Midianites, the Amalekites, & they of the East, and came vpon them,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And when Israel had sowen, then came vp the Madianites, the Amalechites, and they of the east, and came vp agaynst them,

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And [so] it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And whenever Israel's grain was planted, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them;

• World English Bible (2000)

  So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them.

Referenced Verses

• Judg 7:12 : 12 Midian, Amalek, and all the people of the east were lying in the valley as thick as locusts. Their camels were too numerous to count, like the sand on the seashore.
• Judg 3:13 : 13 Eglon gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites to himself, set out, and defeated Israel. They took possession of the City of Palms.
• Judg 6:33 : 33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east joined forces, crossed the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
• Judg 8:10 : 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all that was left of the army of the sons of the east. One hundred twenty thousand sword-wielding men had fallen.
• Job 1:3 : 3 His wealth consisted of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
• Gen 29:1 : 1 Jacob lifted his feet and set out toward the land of the people of the east.
• Lev 26:16 : 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will bring sudden terror upon you, wasting diseases and fever that destroy your eyes and drain your strength. You will plant your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
• Deut 28:30-33 : 30 You will become engaged to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken forcibly from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while you watch with longing eyes all day, but you will be powerless to act. 33 A people you don’t know will eat the fruit of your land and the result of your labor. You will be oppressed and crushed continually.
• Deut 28:51 : 51 They will eat the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, or fresh oil, no calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks, until they have wiped you out.
• Job 31:8 : 8 then may I sow, but another eat, and may my offspring be uprooted.
• Isa 65:21-22 : 21 They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They will not build and have another inhabit, nor will they plant and have another eat. For like the days of a tree will be the days of my people, and my chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.
• Mic 6:15 : 15 You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not use their oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.