4Q49 Judges^a

Language: Hebrew

Date: 50-25 B.C.

Location: Qumran Cave 4

Contents: Judges 6:2-6, 11-13

 

Judges 6

2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 3 So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. 4 They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they came up with their livestock and their tents and their camels. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both They and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. 6 Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.

[..]

11 Yahweh’s angel came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the father of the Ezrites[1] Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh God is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”