1Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him arose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, that Israel not glorify itself against Me, saying, My own hand has delivered me. 3Now therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him turn back and depart early from Mount Gilead. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 4And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to you, This one shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, This one shall not go with you, the same shall not go. 5So he brought the people down to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink. 6And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. 7And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place. 8So the people took provisions and their shofars in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 9And it came to pass on the same night that Jehovah said to him, Rise up, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. 10But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. And he went down with Purah his servant to the extremity of the armed men who were in the camp. 12Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the sons of the east, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore for multitude. 13And when Gideon came, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, I have dreamed a dream: Behold, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent lay flat. 14And his companion answered and said, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp. 15And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed down. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for Jehovah has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand. 16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a shofar into each man's hand, with empty jars, and torches inside the jars. 17And he said to them, Look at me and do likewise; and behold, when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: 18When I blow the shofar, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the shofars on every side of the whole camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon! 19So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the shofars and shattered the jars that were in their hands. 20And the three companies blew the shofars and shattered the jars; they held the torches in their left hands and the shofars in their right hands for blowing; and they cried out, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon! 21And each man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. 22And when the three hundred blew the shofars, Jehovah set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. 23And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and chased after the Midianites. 24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. 25And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of 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.