Judges 6:3

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 6:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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;
Judges 6:3 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 6

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And 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;

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And so it was, when Israel had sown , etc.] Their land, and it was grown up, and near being ripe, or quite; for the Midianites gave them no disturbance in the winter, and during seedtime, when they came out of their lurking holes, and manured their land, and sowed it: that the Midianites came up ; into the land of Canaan, from the other side Jordan, where their country lay, and which it seems lay lower than the land of Israel: and the Amalekites, and the children of the east : the former were implacable enemies of Israel, and on every occasion would join other nations in oppressing them; and the children of the east were Arabians, as Josephus f122 expressly affirms: even they came up against…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Children of the east - That is, the Arabians, who are commonly called the children of the east. Not all the Arabians; but the eastern part of them. Judges 6:4”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“when Israel: Lev 26:16; Deu 28:30-33, Deu 28:51; Job 31:8; Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22; Mic 6:15 Amalekites: Jdg 3:13 children: Jdg 6:33, Jdg 7:12, Jdg 8:10; Gen 29:1; Kg1 4:30; Job 1:3 Judges 6:4”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification