King James Version
Judges 8:19 in the King James Version says “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 ...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 8 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“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.”
Judges 8:19 · KJV
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. resembled: Heb. according to the form, etc
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.
And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks. ornaments: or, ornaments like the moon
KJV Study — Public Domain
“They were my brethren”
H251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like h0001])
“even the sons”
H1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
“of my mother”
H517a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
“liveth”
H2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
“as the LORD”
H3068(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
“ye had saved them alive”
H2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Judges 8:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.