And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights Israel's desperate situation, not just as being "impoverished" (which sounds like mere financial loss), but as being reduced to utter helplessness and vulnerability, like a "sere leaf shaking on a tree." Their crying out to the Lord wasn't just a cry for help, but a recognition that their usual ways of coping had failed, forcing them to turn to God out of sheer desperation.
And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
For seven years, the Midianites had relentlessly plundered Israel, leaving the land impoverished and its people in despair. Driven to hiding in caves, the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for deliverance from their oppressors. This desperate plea marks the turning point, setting the stage for God's intervention and the rise of Gideon.
Ever feel like you're barely hanging on? This verse paints a stark picture of a nation brought to its knees.
Israel's suffering wasn't random; it was a direct consequence of their turning away from God. The Midianites weren't just invaders; they were a tool in God's hand to discipline a people who had abandoned Him.
A Nation Stripped Bare
The text says Israel was "brought very low" and "greatly impoverished." This wasn't just about losing possessions; it was about total helplessness and vulnerability. They were so desperate that their crops were destroyed before they could harvest them, and they had to hide in caves, leaving their wealth to the invaders.
The Cycle of Sin and Suffering
This pattern repeats throughout Judges: Israel sins, God allows enemies to oppress them, they cry out to God, and He delivers them. This cycle highlights a crucial truth: turning away from God has tangible, devastating consequences.
When everything else fails, where do people turn? This verse shows the instinct to cry out when facing utter devastation.
Despite their prolonged period of sin and suffering, the people of Israel didn't turn to the gods they had been worshipping. Instead, they cried out to the LORD.
A Glimmer of Hope
This cry is significant. It shows that even in their fallen state, a memory of their covenant God remained. They knew, on some level, that their own idols were powerless, and that only the LORD could intervene.
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God Hears the Cry
While the text doesn't detail the immediate answer here, the act of crying out is the essential first step toward repentance and restoration. It's the turning point, the acknowledgment that they are not self-sufficient and need divine help.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The specific covenant name of the one true God, revealing His self-existence, eternity, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name by which He entered into covenant relationship with Israel.
This verse highlights a critical cycle in Israel's history: spiritual unfaithfulness leading to oppression, followed by a desperate cry for divine help, which ultimately results in deliverance. The severe poverty caused by the Midianites was a direct consequence of Israel's own turning away from God.
c. 11th-12th century BC
Midianite Raids Begin
Nomadic Midianite tribes, alongside Amalekites and other desert peoples, began raiding Israelite settlements. These attacks targeted crops and livestock, severely disrupting the Israelite economy and way of life.
c. 11th-12th century BC
Israelite Apostasy and Neglect
Following periods of peace and prosperity, the Israelites repeatedly turned away from God to worship Canaanite deities like Baal and Asherah. This spiritual unfaithfulness weakened their national resolve and led God to allow the oppression.
c. 11th-12th century BC— this verse
Seven Years of Midianite Oppression
The Midianites, along with allied tribes, intensified their raids, becoming a dominant oppressive force for seven years. They destroyed crops, stole livestock, and forced the Israelites into hiding, leading to widespread poverty and desperation.
c. 11th-12th century BC
Israel Cries Out to the LORD
Overwhelmed by poverty and suffering, the Israelites finally turned back to God, crying out for deliverance from their oppressors. This cry marked the beginning of their repentance and a turning point in their relationship with God.
c. 11th-12th century BC
Gideon's Call
In response to Israel's cries, God appeared to Gideon, a farmer from the tribe of Manasseh, calling him to be a judge and deliverer. This marked the start of God's intervention to rescue Israel.
This passage describes people trapped in darkness and despair, crying out to the Lord in their distress, mirroring Israel's desperate situation and their cry for help in Judges 6.
Exodus 2:23This verse highlights that God heard the groaning of the Israelites under Egyptian oppression and remembered His covenant, showing a pattern of God responding to His people's cries even when they are greatly afflicted.
Luke 18:7Jesus speaks about God avenging His elect who cry out to Him day and night, illustrating that persistent cries for help are heard by God, much like the Israelites' plea in Judges 6.
Isaiah 59:1-2This passage explains that Israel's suffering was due to their sins separating them from God, but it also assures that God's hand is not too short to save, echoing the spiritual condition and the need for divine intervention in Judges 6.
gillJudges 6:6: "And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD."
And Israel was greatly impoverished, because of the Midianites,.... Were reduced very low, brought into famishing circumstances through the Midianites thus destroying the fruits of the earth year after year: and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord; which they should have done at first, instead of going into dens and caves; however, better late than not at all; they…
ellicottJudges 6:6: "And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD."
(6) Impoverished. —The LXX. render it, “was reduced to pauperism.” The word implies flaccidity and helplessness, “as of a door hanging loose on its hinges, or a sere leaf shaking on a tree.” Cried unto the Lord.—See Judges 3:9; Judges 3:15; Judges 4:3; Psalm 107:13; Hosea 5:15.
The verse highlights Israel's desperate situation, not just as being "impoverished" (which sounds like mere financial loss), but as being reduced to utter helplessness and vulnerability, like a "sere leaf shaking on a tree." Their crying out to the Lord wasn't just a cry for help, but a recognition that their usual ways of coping had failed, forcing them to turn to God out of sheer desperation.
For seven years, the Midianites had relentlessly plundered Israel, leaving the land impoverished and its people in despair. Driven to hiding in caves, the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for deliverance from their oppressors. This desperate plea marks the turning point, setting the stage for God's intervention and the rise of Gideon.
For seven years, the Midianites had relentlessly plundered Israel, leaving the land impoverished and its people in despair. Driven to hiding in caves, the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for deliverance from their oppressors. This desperate plea marks the turning point, setting the stage for God's intervention and the rise of Gideon.
"And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD." — The verse highlights Israel's desperate situation, not just as being "impoverished" (which sounds like mere financial loss), but as being reduced to utter helplessness and vulnerability, like a "sere…
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Last reviewed October 2026