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Judges 7:10
ESV But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.
NIV If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah
NASB But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp,
CSB But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant.
NLT But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.
KJV But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
NKJV But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant,

What does Judges 7:10 mean?

Gideon sits camped with his 300 men in the hills above the massive Midianite camp in the valley below. In the night, the Lord has come to command Gideon to attack—to "go down against" the enemy (Judges 7:9). Immediately, however, God adds a condition: if Gideon is afraid, he can take his servant Purah with him on a spying mission, first.

So far, Gideon's approach has been marked by indecisiveness and doubt (Judges 6:11, 15, 17, 27, 36–40). Prior to this moment, God instructed him to reduce his fighting forces from many thousands to just 300 (Judges 7:2–7). Based on the numbers given elsewhere in the book of Judges, his army is outnumbered by around 450-to-1 (Judges 8:10). It's reasonable that he might be afraid, so God tells him there's a purpose behind making an excursion, first. God's reason for allowing Gideon a brief detour, before the attack, is given in the next verse. The Lord's intent is to strengthen Gideon's faith, not challenge it further.
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