Judges 6:2 (ASV)

Passage

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Nearby Context

Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

Judges 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

Judges 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

Judges 6:4 and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hand", "midian", "prevailed", "against", "israel", and "children". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hand" and "midian", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "And the children of Israel did that..." into verse 3's "And so it was when Israel had...", so "hand" and "midian" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hand" and "midian" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.