1Na ka maranga wawe a Ierupaara, ara a Kiriona, ratou ko tona nuinga katoa, a noho ana i te puna o Haroro; a i te taha ki te raki o ratou te puni o Miriana, i te puke o More, i te raorao. 2Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a Kiriona, He nui rawa te iwi i a koe nei hei hoatutanga maku i nga Miriani ki o ratou ringa, kei whakapehapeha a Iharaira ki ahau, kei mea, Na toku ringa ake ahau i whakaora. 3Na, tena, karanga ki nga taringa o te iwi, mea atu, Ki te wehi, ki te pawera tetahi, hoki atu, hohoro te haere atu i Maunga Kireara. Na e rua tekau ma rua mano o te iwi i hoki; a mahue iho, kotahi tekau mano. 4I mea ano a Ihowa ki a Kiriona, He nui rawa ano te iwi na; kawea ratou ki raro, ki te wai, a ko ahau hei kaiwhakamatautau mau i a ratou ki reira: a ko taku e mea ai ki a koe, Me haere tahi tenei i a koe; ko ia e haere tahi i a koe; a ko taku e me a ai ki a koe, E kore tenei e haere tahi i a koe; kaua tena e haere. 5Na ko tana kawenga i te iwi ki raro, ki te wai, a ka mea a Ihowa ki Kiriona, Ko te hunga katoa e mitikia ai te wai ki o ratou arero, pera me te kuri e miti nei, me whakatu ratou ki tahaki me te hunga katoa ano e tuturi ana ki te inu. 6A, ko te tokomaha o te hunga i mitimiti, me te pa ano o o ratou ringa ki o ratou mangai, e toru rau tangata: i tuturi ia te nuinga katoa o te iwi ki te inu i te wai. 7Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a Kiriona, Ma nga rau tangata e toru i mitimiti ra e whakaora ai ahau i a koutou, e hoatu ai hoki nga Miriani ki tou ringa; a kia haere te iwi katoa, tera, ki tona wahi. 8Na ka mauria e te iwi he o ki o ratou ringa, me a ratou tetere: ko te nuinga ia o Iharaira i tonoa e ia ki tona teneti, ki tona teneti, a puritia ana aua tangata e toru ra: na i raro i a ia te puni o Miriana, i te raorao. 9Na i taua po ano ka mea a Ihowa ki a ia, Whakatika, haere ki raro, ki te puni ra, kua hoatu hoki e ahau ki tou ringa. 10A ki te wehi koe ki te haere ki raro, haere korua ko Pura, ko tau tangata, ki raro ki te puni. 11A ka rongo koe ki a ratou korero, muri iho ka maia ou ringa, a ka haere koe ki raro, ki te puni. Na ko to raua haerenga atu ko tana tangata, ko Pura, ki te hiku o nga matua o te puni. 12A e takoto haere ana i te raorao nga Miriani, ratou ko nga Amareki, me nga tamariki katoa o te rawhiti, kei te manawhitiwhiti te tokomaha; me a ratou kamera, kahore e taea te tatau; rite tahi ki te onepu i te taha o te moana te tokomaha. 13A, no te taenga atu o Kiriona, na e korero ana tetahi i te moe ki tona hoa, e mea ana, Nana, moe iho ahau, he keke taro pare e takahuri mai ana ki te puni o Miriana. Na kua tae mai ki te teneti; kua aki atu; na kua hinga, kua huri koaro, a takot o ana te teneti. 14Na ka utu tona hoa, ka mea, Ehara tena i te mea ke atu i te hoari a Kiriona tama a Ioaha, he tangata no Iharaira: kua hoatu e te Atua a Miriana me te ope katoa ki tona ringa. 15A, i te rongonga o Kiriona i te korerotanga o te moe, i tona tikanga, na ka koropiko ia, a hoki ana ki te puni o Iharaira, ka mea, Whakatika, kua homai hoki e te Atua te ope o Miriana ki o koutou ringa. 16Katahi ka wehea e ia nga tangata e toru rau, kia toru nga matua, a whakawhiwhia ana e ia nga ringa o ratou katoa ki te tetere, ki te oko tahanga, ki te rama i roto i te oko. 17I mea ano ia ki a ratou, Me titiro mai ki ahau, a kia rite ta koutou ki taku; na, e tae ahau ki te wahi i waho rawa o te puni, ko taku e mea ai, kia pera hoki koutou. 18Ka whakatangi ahau i te tetere, matou ko oku hoa katoa, me whakatangi hoki koutou i nga tetere i nga taha katoa o te puni, me te karanga ano, Ko te hoari a Ihowa, a Kiriona. 19Na ka tae a Kiriona me te rau tangata i a ia ki te wahi i waho rawa o te puni, i te timatanga o to waenga mataaratanga, i te mea katahi ano ka whakaturia atu nga kaimataara: na whakatangihia ana e ratou nga tetere, a wahia iho nga oko i o ratou ringa. 20A whakatangihia ana hoki nga tetere e nga matua e toru, wahia iho nga oko, i puritia ano nga rama ki o ratou ringa maui, me nga tetere ki o ratou ringa matau whakatangi ai; me ta ratou karanga hoki, Ko te hoari a Ihowa, a Kiriona. 21Na tu ana ratou i tona turanga, i tona turanga, taiawhio noa te puni: a ka rere katoa te puni; a ko to ratou hamamatanga, na ko te whatinga. 22I whakatangihia hoki e ratou nga tetere e toru rau, a meinga ana e Ihowa kia anga te hoari a tenei tangata, a tenei tangata, ki tona hoa, ki tona hoa, ki te ope katoa ano hoki: a ka whati te ope tae noa ki Petehita e ahu atu ana ki Tererara, tae noa ki te rohe o Aperemehora, e tata ana ki Tapata. 23Katahi ka huihuia nga tangata o Iharaira, i roto i a Napatari, i a Ahera, i a Manahi katoa, a whaia ana a Miriana e ratou. 24A i tono karere a Kiriona puta noa i te whenua pukepuke katoa o Eparaima hei mea, Haere mai ki raro ki te whawhai ki a Miriana; tangohia hoki nga wai i mua i a ratou, a puta noa ki Petepara ki Horano. Na ka huihui nga tangata katoa o Eparaima, a tangohia ana nga wai, a puta noa ki Petepara ki Horano. 25A tokorua nga rangatira o Miriana i mau i a ratou, ko Orepe raua ko Teepe; a patua iho e ratou a Orepe ki te kamaka a Orepe, i patua hoki a Teepe ki te poka waina a Teepe, a whaia ana e ratou a Miriana, a kawea ana e ratou nga matenga o Orepe ra ua ko Teepe ki a Kiriona ki tawahi o Horano.
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.