Judges 6:7-10: The Prophet's Covenant Lawsuit

[circa 1249] Verse 7:[1] And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites…

Verse 8:[2] That the LORD sent a prophet (Heb. a man a prophet[3]) unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage…

[Who sent…a man, a prophet] It was enough to say, a prophet. Such are those sayings, vir piscator, a man a fisherman,[4] homo sacerdos, a man a priest,[5] vir Æthiops, a man an Ethiopian[6] (Drusius). Question: Who then was this? Responses: 1. Phineas (Hebrews in Vatablus). But he, if he had been alive at that time, would have been two hundred years old (Lapide, Bonfrerius). 2. He was an Angel (Augustine in Lapide). But Angels are not called Prophets in Scripture (Lyra). 3. He was a man gifted by God with the spirit of prophecy (Lapide). Now, who he may have been is asked in vain, since the Holy Spirit willed it to lie hidden from us. It is not unusual for the names of Prophets to be left unexpressed; as in 1 Samuel 2:27; 1 Kings 13:1; 20:13, 22, 28 (Bonfrerius).

Verse 9:[7] And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and (Ps. 44:2, 3) drave them out from before you, and gave you their land…

Verse 10:[8] And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; (2 Kings 17:35, 37, 38; Jer. 10:2) fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

[Fear not, לֹ֤א תִֽירְאוּ֙] Reverence not (Vatablus). To fear here is put in the place of to worship (Drusius).

Fear not, that is, do not serve or worship them.

[1] Hebrew: וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי־זָעֲק֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה עַ֖ל אֹד֥וֹת מִדְיָֽן׃

[2] Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח יְהוָ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ נָבִ֖יא אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֙אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֣ה׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָנֹכִ֞י הֶעֱלֵ֤יתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וָאֹצִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃

[3] Hebrew: אִ֥ישׁ נָבִ֖יא.

[4] In Herodotus.

[5] 1 Maccabees 7:14 in the Vulgate.

[6] Acts 8:27 in the Vulgate.

[7] Hebrew: וָאַצִּ֤ל אֶתְכֶם֙ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִיַּ֖ד כָּל־לֹחֲצֵיכֶ֑ם וָאֲגָרֵ֤שׁ אוֹתָם֙ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם וָאֶתְּנָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־אַרְצָֽם׃

[8] Hebrew: וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָכֶ֗ם אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֤א תִֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם יוֹשְׁבִ֣ים בְּאַרְצָ֑ם וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם בְּקוֹלִֽי׃