Verse 13:[1] And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and (so Ps. 89:49; Is. 59:1; 63:15) where be all his miracles (Ps. 44:1) which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath (2 Chron. 15:2) forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
[I beseech, my Lord, בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י] I ask thee, O Lord (Syriac, Arabic). בִּי is an adverb or interjection of entreaty (Bonfrerius). Upon me, O Lord (Septuagint, Montanus), understanding, attend thou (Augustine in Nobilius). Or, in me is the same as with me; as if to that which the Angel had said, the Lord is with thee, Gideon were responding, With me? how can this be? (Bonfrerius). Attend to me (Junius and Tremellius); or, upon me, understanding, benignly look (Martyr).
[If the Lord be with us, וְיֵ֤שׁ יְהוָה֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ] And is the Lord with us? (Montanus, Pagnine, Jonathan); that is to say, How is He with us? Or, without the interrogation, and He is, etc., in the place of, if He is, etc. Thus, they shall build, in the place of, if they will have built.[2] The hungry Greek, thou willest have commanded (that is, if thou willest have commanded), will go to heaven[3] (Drusius).
[Why have all these things overtaken us?[4]] Hebrew: they found, that is, they happened to us (Drusius, similarly Vatablus).
[Where are, etc.?] That is to say, Why does He not do similar things now (Vatablus)?
[1] Hebrew: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר אֵלָ֤יו גִּדְעוֹן֙ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְיֵ֤שׁ יְהוָה֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ וְלָ֥מָּה מְצָאַ֖תְנוּ כָּל־זֹ֑את וְאַיֵּ֣ה כָֽל־נִפְלְאֹתָ֡יו אֲשֶׁר֩ סִפְּרוּ־לָ֙נוּ אֲבוֹתֵ֜ינוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הֲלֹ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הֶעֱלָ֣נוּ יְהוָ֔ה וְעַתָּה֙ נְטָשָׁ֣נוּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖נוּ בְּכַף־מִדְיָֽן׃
[2] See, for example, Malachi 1:4: “Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down (הֵ֥מָּה יִבְנ֖וּ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶהֱר֑וֹס); and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.”
[3] Juvenal’s Satire 3:78.
[4] Hebrew: וְלָ֥מָּה מְצָאַ֖תְנוּ כָּל־זֹ֑את.
William Jay's "Morning Exercises" '"I will surely do thee good."—Genesis 32:12
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