1And Jerubbaal (he is Gideon) rose early, and all the people with him. And they camped by the spring of Harod, and the army of Midian was north of him on Mount Moreh, in the valley. 2And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, that Israel not glorify itself against Me, saying, My hand has delivered me. 3And now then, cry in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and leave Mount Gilead. And twenty two thousand of the people returned. And ten thousand were left. 4And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will refine them for you there. And it shall be, he of whom I say to you, this one shall go with you, he shall go with you. And any of whom I shall say to you, This one shall not go with you, he shall not go. 5And he brought the people down to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set him apart. And everyone who bows on his knees to drink, set apart. 6And the number of those lapping with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men. And all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. 7And Jehovah said to Gideon, I will deliver you by the three hundred men who lapped, and shall give Midian into your hand. And all the people shall go, each to his place. 8And the people took the food in their hand, and their rams' horns; and he sent away every man of Israel, each to his tent. But he kept hold on the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 9And it happened on that night, Jehovah said to him, Rise up, go down to the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10And if you are afraid to go down, you and your young man Phurah go down to the camp. 11And you shall hear what they say. And afterward your hand shall be made stronger, and you shall go down against the army. And he went down, he and his young man Phurah, to the edge of the battle alignment in the camp. 12And Midian and Amalek, and all the sons of the east, were lying in the valley, as the locusts for multitude. And there was no number of their camels being as the sand on the lip of the sea for multitude. 13And Gideon came; and, behold, a man was telling a dream to his companion. And he said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream. And, behold, a cake of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian. And it came to the tent and struck it, and it fell, and turned it upside down; and the tent fell down. 14And his companion answered and said, This is nothing but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Midian and all the army into his hand. 15And it happened when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the army of Israel and said, Rise up, for Jehovah has given the army of Midian into your hand. 16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies. And he put a ram's horn in the hand of all of them, and empty jars, and torches inside the jars. 17And he said to them, Look at me, and do this; even behold, I am coming to the edge of the camp. And it shall be, as I do, so you shall do. 18And I shall blow with a ram's horn, I and all who are with me. And you shall blow with the ram's horns, you also all around the camp, and shall shout, For Jehovah and for Gideon! 19And Gideon came, and the hundred men with him, to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch. Only newly rising up they had made rise the watching ones. And they blew with the ram's horns, and shattered the jars in their hand. 20And the three companies blew with their ram's horns, and broke the jars, and held the torches in their left hand; and in their right hand the ram's horns, and they cried out, A sword for Jehovah and for Gideon! 21And they each one stood in his place, all around the army. And all the army ran, and they shouted, and they fled. 22And the three hundred blew the ram's horns, and Jehovah set a man's sword against his companion even in all the army. And the army fled to Beth-shittah, at Zererath, to the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23And the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, and from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and chased Midian. 24And Gideon had sent messengers to all the hills of Ephraim, saying, Come down to meet Midian, and capture the waters before them as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. And every man of Ephraim was called up, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25And they captured the two rulers of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And Oreb was slain at the rock of Oreb; and they killed Zeeb at the winevat of Zeeb. And they pursued to Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 GIDEON'S ARMY. (
Judg 7:1-
Judg 7:8)
Jerubbaal--This had now become Gideon's honorable surname, "the enemy of Baal."
well--rather "spring of Harod," that is, "fear, trembling"; probably the same as the fountain in Jezreel (
1Sam 29:1). It was situated not far from Gilboa, on the confines of Manasseh, and the name "Harod" was bestowed on it with evident reference to the panic which seized the majority of Gideon's troops. The host of the Midianites were on the northern side of the valley, seemingly deeper down in the descent towards the Jordan, near a little eminence.
2 the Lord said unto Gideon, The people . . . are too many--Although the Israelitish army mustered only thirty-two thousand (or one-sixth of the Midianitish host), the number was too great, for it was the Lord's purpose to teach Israel a memorable lesson of dependence on Him.
3 Now therefore . . ., proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful . . . let him return--This proclamation was in terms of an established law (
Deut 20:8).
4 too many--Two reductions were ordered, the last by the application of a test which was made known to Gideon alone.
5 bring them down unto the water--When the wandering people in Asia, on a journey or in haste, come to water, they do not stoop down with deliberation on their knees, but only bend forward as much as is necessary to bring their hand in contact with the stream, and throw it up with rapidity, and at the same time such address, that they do not drop a particle. The Israelites, it seems, were acquainted with the practice; and those who adopted it on this occasion were selected as fit for a work that required expedition. The rest were dismissed according to the divine direction.
7 the Lord said, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you--It is scarcely possible to conceive a more severe trial than the command to attack the overwhelming forces of the enemy with such a handful of followers. But Gideon's faith in the divine assurance of victory was steadfast, and it is for this he is so highly commended (
Heb 11:32).
8 the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley--Attention to the relative position of the parties is of the greatest importance to an understanding of what follows.
9 HE IS ENCOURAGED BY THE DREAM AND THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BARLEY CAKE. (
Judg 7:9-
Judg 7:15)
Arise, get thee down unto the host . . . But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant--In ancient times it was reckoned no degradation for persons of the highest rank and character to act as spies on an enemy's camp; and so Gideon did on this occasion. But the secret errand was directed by God, who intended that he should hear something which might animate his own valor and that of his troops.
11 the outside of the armed men that were in the host--"Armed," means embodied under the five officers established by the ordinary laws and usages of encampments. The camp seems to have been unprotected by any rampart, since Gideon had no difficulty in reaching and overhearing a conversation, so important to him.
12 the Midianites and the Amalekites . . . lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number--a most graphic description of an Arab encampment. They lay wrapt in sleep, or resting from their day's plunder, while their innumerable camels were stretched round about them.
13 I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian--This was a characteristic and very expressive dream for an Arab in the circumstances. The rolling down the hill, striking against the tents, and overturning them, naturally enough connected it in his mind with the position and meditated attack of the Israelitish leader. The circumstance of the cake, too, was very significant. Barley was usually the food of the poor, and of beasts; but most probably, from the widespread destruction of the crops by the invaders, multitudes must have been reduced to poor and scanty fare.
15 when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation . . . he worshipped--The incident originated in the secret overruling providence of God, and Gideon, from his expression of pious gratitude, regarded it as such. On his mind, as well as that of his followers, it produced the intended effect--that of imparting new animation and impulse to their patriotism.
16 HIS STRATAGEM AGAINST MIDIAN. (
Judg 7:16-
Judg 7:24)
he divided the three hundred men into three companies--The object of dividing his forces was, that they might seem to be surrounding the enemy. The pitchers were empty to conceal the torches, and made of earthenware, so as to be easily broken; and the sudden blaze of the held-up lights--the loud echo of the trumpets, and the shouts of Israel, always terrifying (
Num 23:21), and now more terrible than ever by the use of such striking words, broke through the stillness of the midnight air. The sleepers started from their rest; not a blow was dealt by the Israelites; but the enemy ran tumultuously, uttering the wild, discordant cries peculiar to the Arab race. They fought indiscriminately, not knowing friend from foe. The panic being universal, they soon precipitately fled, directing their flight down to the Jordan, by the foot of the mountains of Ephraim, to places known as the "house of the acacia" [Beth-shittah], and "the meadow of the dance" [Abel-meholah].
23 the men of Israel gathered themselves together--These were evidently the parties dismissed, who having lingered at a little distance from the scene of contest, now eagerly joined in the pursuit southwestward through the valley.
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim--The Ephraimites lay on the south and could render seasonable aid.
Come . . . take before them the waters unto Beth-barah--(See on
Judg 3:28). These were the northern fords of the Jordan, to the east-northeast of wady Maleh.
the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together . . . unto Beth-barah--A new conflict ensued, in which two secondary chiefs were seized and slain on the spots where they were respectively taken. The spots were named after these chiefs, Oreb, "the Raven," and Zeeb, "the Wolf"--appropriate designations of Arab leaders.