King James Version

Judges 6:39

And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…גִּדְעוֹן֙gidonGideonגִּדְעוֹןnoun, proper name — “Gideon”H1439Gidon, an IsraeliteGideon.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםhaelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.יִ֤חַרyicharburnחָרָהverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “burn”, a wish or indirect commandH2734to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousybe angry, burn, be displeased, [idiom] earnestly, fret self, grieve, be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, [idiom] very, be wroth. See H8474 (תַּחָרָה).אַפְּךָ֙apkhafaceאַףnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “face”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH639properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ireanger(-gry), [phrase] before, countenance, face, [phrase] forebearing, forehead, [phrase] (long-) suffering, nose, nostril, snout, [idiom] worthy, wrath.בִּ֔יbiinבִּ֔יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in”inוַאֲדַבְּרָ֖הvaadabrahand speakדָבַרconjunction, verb, piel, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “and speak”, a determination or requestH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אַ֣ךְakhonlyאַךְparticle, affirmation — “only”H389a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) onlyalso, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, [phrase] wherefore, yet (but).הַפָּ֑עַםhapaamthe anvilפַּעַםdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the anvil”, the ordinary formH6471a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel.אֲנַסֶּ֤הanasehadventureנָסָהverb, piel, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “adventure”, a determination or requestH5254to test; by implication, to attemptadventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.נָּאnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, interjection — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.רַקraqonlyרַקparticle, affirmation — “only”H7535properly, leanness, i.e. (figuratively) limitation; only adverbial, merely, or conjunctional, althoughbut, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless, nothing but, notwithstanding, only, save, so (that), surely, yet (so), in any wise.הַפַּ֨עַם֙hapaamthe anvilפַּעַםdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the anvil”, the ordinary formH6471a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel.בַּגִּזָּ֔הbagizahin fleeceגָּזַּהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in fleece”, the ordinary formH1492a fleecefleece.יְהִיyehibeהָיָהverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a wish or indirect commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.נָ֨אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.חֹ֤רֶבchorevdesolationחֹרֶבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “desolation”, the ordinary formH2721drought or desolationdesolation, drought, dry, heat, [idiom] utterly, waste.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הַגִּזָּה֙hagizahthe fleeceגָּזַּהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the fleece”, the ordinary formH1492a fleecefleece.לְבַדָּ֔הּlevadahto apartבַּדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to apart”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH905properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besidesalone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.וְעַלvealand aboveעַלconjunction, preposition — “and above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הָאָ֖רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.יִֽהְיֶהyihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.טָּֽלtaldewטַלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dew”, the ordinary formH2919dew (as covering vegetation)dew.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Gideon said unto God: 'Let not Thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Gideon saith unto God, 'Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I pray Thee, only this time with the fleece — let there be, I pray Thee, drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth let there be dew.'

World English Bible

Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”

Darby Translation

And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once! Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it, I pray thee, be dry upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

Douay-Rheims

And he said again to God: let not thy wrath be kindled against me if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray thee, thine anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, μὴ δὴ ὀργισθήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ· πειράσω δὴ καί γε ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐν τῷ πόκῳ· καὶ γενέσθω ἡ ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν γενηθήτω δρόσος.