Judges 7

Gideon campeth himself against the Midianites with his men of war, v.1. which upon Gods command by Proclamation and atoken, he is sain to lessen to the number of but three hundred, which he alone keepeth to him, 2.he spyeth out the camp of the Midianites, and being strengthened by the telling and interpretation of a strange and wonderful dream, divideth his army into three companies or brigades: who all with one accord blow with trumpets, and break the pitchers ( wherein the lamps were) in pieces, 15. Whereby the Midianites are terrified, and put to flight, yea destroy one another, 21. The next adjoining Israelites are sent for up, to pursue after the enemy that fled, and to stop their passage over the Jordan, 23. two Princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Seeb, are taken prisoners, and slain, 25.

1. Then Jerubbaal (who is Gideon), [See above chapter 6.33.] rose up early, and all the people that were with him, and they camped themselves at the fountain of Harod: [Heb. Charod, lying on the borders of Manasseh, on this side of the mountain, behind which the Midiates were camped on the other side. See chap.6. On v 33. This name the fountain might have obtained from the fear and trembling of the 22000. Israelites, below v.3. There was another fountain by Jisreel, at the end of this mountain Westward. See 1 Sam.29. 1.] so that he had the half of the Midianites toward the North, behind the hill More, [This seemeth to have been one of the mountains of Gilboa: so called from the timely, or seasonable rain, that fell in great abundance upon the fields that lay on the top of it; as some do gather, by comparing of 2 Sam.1.21. Upon this mountain Gilboa was Saul also slain by the Philistines, 1 Sam.31.1.] in the valley.[viz. Jizreel, as above chap.33.]

2. And the LORD said unto Gideon ;The people that are with thee are too many ,that l should deliver Midianites into they hand: left Israel vaunt themselves against me saying ,my hand hath deliver me.[Or my hand hath brought me salvation ,or deliverance, procured the victory. See the like phrase ,Exodus.8.9.]

3. Now then proclaim [that is cause to be proclaimed or published] now before (or in) the people saying; whoever is fearful [Deutronomy20.vs.8] and dismayed,[or quaketh, trembleth, is afraid] let him return and make baste [or fly away, pack himself away this morning, or early. The Hebrew word seemeth to look at go on speedily, quickly, hastily,] to the mountain Gilead: [Hebrews, from, or, towards the mountain of Gilead; i.e. along the way that goeth toward and from that mountain, being the same mountain that lay right over against Gideons army, beyond the Jordan, from whence those of the half tribe of Manasseh were come to him. See above chap 6.on v.36.] Then (there) returned of the people two and twenty thousand, (so) that they remained ten thousand.

4. And the LORD said unto Gideon; the people are yet too many, make them go down to the water, and I will try them [Heb. properly, separate, purifie, as a Goldsmith purifieth the silver, separating the good metal from the dross] for thee there: and it shall be, (that) of whom I shall say unto thee; This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee: but also those of whom I shall say: This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go with thee.

5. And he made the people go down to the water: then said the LORD unto Gideon; Whosoever shall lap with his tongue of water. [viz. which he in a standing posture shall have taken up with hand, as is declared, v.6. This was a token of courage and nimbleness: as the bending of the knee was a token of flowness and laziness] according as a dog would lap, him shalt thou set alone by himself; likewise every one that shall bow down upon his knees for to drink.

6. Then was the number of those that had lapped with their hand (put) to their mouth, three hundred men, but all the rest of the people had bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7. And the LORD said unto Gideon; by these three hundred man that have lapped, will I deliver you, and give the Midianites to thine hand: therefore let all that people [Understand the rest of the people] depart, every man unto his place.

8. And the people took victual in their hand, and their trumpets; [Otherwise, then they took the victual of the people in their hand, as also their trumpets. To wit, those three hundred men took of the people victual for themselves, so much as was needful, as also trumpets, to wit, three hundred, (v.16.) holding in their march, as they went, yet twenty more, according to the account of some; for Gideons army was at first 32000 strong, as appeareth above v.3. each thousand having ten trumpets, or each hundred one] and he [viz. Gideon] let all those men of Israel [viz. all the rest, as in the former verse] go, every men unto the tent, but he kept those three hundred men: and he had the host of the Midiantes beneath in the valley. [On the other side of the mountain, so that he had it before him, in the valley of Jizreel, when he stood upon the mount, where also it may be a part of Gideons camp lay, as may be gathered from the following verse]

9. And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him; Arise, go thy ways into the camp: [viz. of the Midianites] for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10. But if thou fear to go down, [viz. thy self alone] then go down, thou, and Pura, thy boy (or servant) unto the camp.

11. And thou salt hear what they shall speak, and afterwards shall thine hands be strengthened, that thou salt march down it the camp: [i.e. thou salt become courageous, and fitted ready, prepared to fall upon their camp, or army] then went he down, with Pura his boy unto the out side of the files [the Hebrew word properly signifieth; fived, that by fives, or five in a rank, or five a breast, are wont to march, as Exodus 13:18. Hence proceedeth the signification of the armed men, as the military orders, and especially the ranks and files commonly ought to be] that were in the camp.

12. And the Midianites, and Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay in the valley, [Heb. Fell, or were fallen in the valley, i.e. they lay spread abroad in the valley] as grasshoppers in multitude; [see above chap.6.v.5.] and their camels were innumerable, [as above chap.6.5.] as the sand which is on the sea shore, [Heb. on the lip of the sea] in multitude.

13. Now when was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold a tosted barley loaf [Or, a pan cake of barley bread; otherwise, a noise of barley bread. This implyeth the meanness and contemptibleness of the means, whereby God would smite the Midianites, and deliver his people] rolled it self into the camp of the Midianites, and it came to the tent, and smote it, that it fell, and overturned it upside down, [Heb. overturned it upward,] that the tene lay along.

14. And his fellow answered, and said; This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon, the son of Joas, the Israelitish man: God hath delivered the Midianites and this whole camp into his hand.

15. And it came to pass, when Gideon heard the telling of this dream, and the interpretation, [Heb. breaking; i.e. dismembering, expounding, unloosening. It seemeth that the phrase is borrowed from fruits, that have had shells which must be broken ere a man eat the kernel] thereof, that he worshipped: [Heb. he bowed himself: honoring and praising God for his wonderful providence, and this comfort. See Gen.22.on v.3.] and he returned unto the camp of Israel, and said; Arise, for the LORD hath delivered the camp of the Midianites into your hand.

16. And he divided the three hundred men into three heaps: [Heb. heads: so below v.20. and chap.9 34.] and he gave every one a trumpet in his hand, [Heb. he gave trumpets into all their hands] and empty pitchers, and lamps in the midst of the pitchers.

17. And he said unto them; Look towards me, [Heb. look or, thou shalt look, or, from me, that is, according to the nature of the Hebrew tongue, sometimes as much as, towards, or, on me, right opposite against me. Compare above on v.3. Else it may be translated, from, or, of me shalt tlou look, and do so, i.e. thou shalt learn and observe of me, or, from me, what thou shalt do] and do so: [viz. as ye see me do] and behold, when I shall come to the outside of the camp, it shall be, that according as I shall do, so shall ye do.

18. When I shall blow with the trumpet, and all that are with me; then also shall ye blow with the trumpet, round about the whole camp, and ye shall say, For the LORD, and for Gideon. [Understand with all, is this battle fought. So is the Hebrew letter Lamed used in matters of battle, Exd.14.14 and 25. Or thus, unto the LORD, and Gideon; viz. be the victory. or thus. of the LORD, and of Gideon; viz. the sword, from vers.20.]

19. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came into the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middlemost night watch, [i.e. About midnight, when the Watchers were wont to be changed] when they had but newly set the centinels; [Heb. setting they had set; otherwise, but they had raised up all the centinels; or, they raised up onely the centinels] and they blew with the trumpets; also they beat the pitchers in pieces, that were in their hands. [Or, they beat them one against another, so that the pieces were scattered here and there. Compare Psal.2.9. Jer.13. 13. and 48. 12.]

20. So the three heaps blew with the trumpets, and brake the pitchers; and they held with their left hand the lamps, and with their right hand the trumpets to blow: and they cryed, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

21. And they stood every one in his place, round about the camp: then all the camp ran away, and they cryed, and fled.

22. When the three hundred blew with the trumpets, then the LORD set [i.e. ordered] the sword of the one against the other, [Heb. of the man against his neighbor, or, fellow, companion: i.e. the Lord ordered it so, that through amazedness and astonishment they fell one upon another, and slew one another] and (that) in all the camp fled unto beth-Sitta [out of the valley where they were camped, along the mountain towards Jordan, and again along Jordan inward toward the land: where lay Abel-Mehola, and Tabbath in Manasseh. Of Abel-Mehola see 1 Kings 4:12. and 19.16.] toward Tseredath, unto the border [Heb.lip] of Abel-Mehola, above Tabbath.

23. Then were the men of Israel called together, out of Naphtali, and out of Aser, and out of all Manasseh, and they pursued after the Midianites.

24. Also Gideon sent messengers into all the mountain of Ephraim, [Lying on the other side of Manasseh Southward, that the Midianites being inclosing on both sides, and being stopped at their passage over the Jordan, might no ways escape. But between these were Zebah and Tsalmunna with about 15000. Men got over the Jordan, whom Gideon with his three hundred men pursued, and flew. See chap.8.10,12.] saying; Come down to meet the Midianites, and intercept them the waters, unto Beth-Bara, [lying near by Jordan: some take this for Bethabara, Job. 1.28.] to wit, Jordan: so every man of Ephraim was called together, and they intercepted (then) the waters unto Beth-Bara, and [the particle and, is here (according to the opinion of many) as much as, to wit] the Jordan.

25. And they took captive two Princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and killed Oreb upon the rock Oreb, [Situate by the East- end of the mountain of Ephraim, not far from the Jordan. This place was afterward so called, because of this history, as also the other place Zeeb] and they killed Zeeb in [otherwise by, or, at] the press sat Zeeb, and pursued the Midianites: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb unto Gideon over the Jordan. [Or, on this side of Jordan: for the Hebrew word, according to the occasion of the thing, signifieth both. In the following chapter is mentioned, that Gideon with his three hundred men passed over the Jordan, to pursue after the Midianites, and the rest of the East-Country people. See there v.4. The opinion of most Interpreters is, that this, and that which followeth in the three first verses of the eighth Chapter, is here in the first place related, to give a full and perfect account of what was bravely and gallantly acted by the men of Ephraim on this side Jordan, but that it was then onely first offered, when Gideon returned from pursuing the Midianites beyond Jordan, and had gotten the full victory over them. But the attentive Reader will be able to Judge aright by comparing this verse with the third verse of the next Chapter. See the annotation there.]