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Judges 7:2
ESV The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
NIV The LORD said to Gideon, 'You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, 'My own strength has saved me.'
NASB And the Lord said to Gideon, 'The people who are with you are too many for Me to hand Midian over to them, otherwise Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has saved me.’
CSB The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, 'I saved myself.'
NLT The Lord said to Gideon, 'You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.
KJV And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

What does Judges 7:2 mean?

When the Lord's Spirit "clothed" Gideon with God's power, he sent out the call to the people of his own tribe Manasseh and the people of the surrounding tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. Volunteers poured in (Judges 6:34–35). Gideon found himself surrounded by a considerable number of men willing—if not eager—to fight the Midianites with him (Judges 6:3). The Israelites are still outnumbered four-to-one (Judges 8:10), but still a sizable group.

In a statement Gideon was likely not expecting, the Lord says Gideon's army is too large. He doesn't want the people of Israel to think they saved themselves without divine help. He wants His people to know—for certain—that it was God who delivered them from their enemy once more. He will command Gideon to reduce the size of the force taken into battle.
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