Judges 7

Judges 7:1

Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.

Judges 7:1 · BSB

Judges 7:2

Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

Judges 7:2 · BSB

Judges 7:3

Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

Judges 7:3 · BSB

mount Gilead Gideon was certainly not at mount Gilead , east of Jordan at this time; but rather near mount Gilboa , west of Jordan. Calmet thinks there must either have been two Gileads , which does not appear from Scripture to have been the case , or that the Hebrew Text is corrupt , and that for Gilead we should read Gilboa. This reading , though adopted by Houbigant , is not confirmed by an manuscript or version. Dr. Hales endeavours to reconcile the whole , by the supposition that in Gideon's army there were many eastern Manassites from mount Gilead , near the Midianites; and therefore proposes to read , "Whosoever from mount Gilead is fearful and afraid , let him return . home and depart early."

Judges 7:4

Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

Judges 7:4 · BSB

Judges 7:5

So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”

Judges 7:5 · BSB

Judges 7:6

And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.

Judges 7:6 · BSB

Judges 7:7

Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”

Judges 7:7 · BSB

Judges 7:8

So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

Judges 7:8 · BSB

Judges 7:9

That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.

Judges 7:9 · BSB

Judges 7:10

But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah

Judges 7:10 · BSB

Judges 7:11

and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.

Judges 7:11 · BSB

Judges 7:12

Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Judges 7:12 · BSB

Judges 7:13

And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

Judges 7:13 · BSB

Judges 7:14

His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”

Judges 7:14 · BSB

Judges 7:15

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

Judges 7:15 · BSB

Judges 7:16

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.

Judges 7:16 · BSB

three companies This small number of men , thus divided , would be able to encompass the whole camp of the Midianites. Concealing the lamps in the pitchers , they would pass unobserved to their appointed stations; then , in the dead of the night , when most of the enemy were fast asleep , all at once breaking their pitchers one against another , with as much noise as they could , and blowing the trumpets and shouting; they would occasion an exceedingly great alarm. The obedience of faith alone could have induced such an expedient , which no doubt God directed Gideon to employ. . Scott.

a trumpet Heb. trumpets in the hand of all of them

lamps or , fire-brands , or torches

Judges 7:17

“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.

Judges 7:17 · BSB

Judges 7:18

When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

Judges 7:18 · BSB

Judges 7:19

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.

Judges 7:19 · BSB

Judges 7:20

The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Judges 7:20 · BSB

Judges 7:21

Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.

Judges 7:21 · BSB

Judges 7:22

And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

Judges 7:22 · BSB

in or , toward

border Heb. lip

Tabbath Probably the town of חגחע , mentioned by Eusebius , 13 miles from Neapolis , or Shechem , towards Scythopolis.

Judges 7:23

Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.

Judges 7:23 · BSB

Judges 7:24

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.

Judges 7:24 · BSB

Judges 7:25

They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

Judges 7:25 · BSB

Oreb Eusebius and Jerome speak of a small place called Araba , three miles west from Scythopolis , which is supposed by some to have had its name from Oreb.

and brought Among ancient nations , the head of the conquered chief was usually brought to the conqueror. Thus Pompey's head was brought to Cesar , Cicero's head to Mark Anthony , and the heads of Ahab's children to Jehu. These barbarities are seldom practised now , except among the Mahommedans , or the savages of Africa and America; and for the credit of human nature , it is to be wished that such atrocities had never been committed.