Judges 8:19 Meaning and Explanation
“And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Gideon reveals the slain men were his own brothers and vows the kings will die for it.
What Does Judges 8:19 Mean?
Gideon now discloses the wound: the men killed at Tabor were his own brothers, his mother's sons. Swearing by the living LORD, he declares that had the kings spared them, he would have spared the kings; but blood has been shed, and justice must follow.
The oath as the LORD liveth places the matter under God's witness, not personal vengeance alone. There is grief beneath the justice here, a brother mourning brothers. The verse shows that the demands of righteousness and the ache of loss can dwell together, and that the avenging of innocent blood was, in that age, a sacred trust laid upon the kinsman.
Judges 8:19 in the Original Language
chay (חַי), 'liveth' -- the living, ever-present God, invoked to bind a solemn oath.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 8:19
What does Judges 8:19 mean?
Gideon reveals the slain men were his own brothers and vows the kings will die for it.