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Judges Chapter
Seven
Judges 7
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 7
In
this chapter we have an account of the army under Gideon gathered out of
several tribes
which from 32
000 were reduced to three hundred
and we are
told by what means this was done
Judges 7:1 and how
he was directed to go into the host of the Midianites
where he heard one of
them telling his dream to his fellow
which greatly encouraged him to believe
he should succeed
Judges 7:9 also we
are told the form and manner in which he disposed of his little army to attack
the Midianites
and the orders he gave them to observe
which had the desired
effect
and issued in the total rout of that large body of people
Judges 7:16 and
those that were not destroyed were pursued by persons gathered out of several
tribes
and the passages of Jordan were taken by the Ephraimites
so that those
that attempted their escape into their own country
there fell into their
hands
Judges 7:23.
Judges 7:1 Then
Jerubbaal (that is
Gideon) and all the people who were with him
rose 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.
YLT
1And Jerubbaal (he [is]
Gideon) riseth early
and all the people who [are] with him
and they encamp by
the well of Harod
and the camp of Midian hath been on the south of him
on the
height of Moreh
in the valley.
Then Jerubbaal
who is Gideon
.... That being the name
his father had lately given him
Judges 6:32.
and all the people that were with him
rose up early; encouraged by
the signs and miracles wrought
by which he was assured of success; he was eager
to be about his work
and therefore rose early in the morning
and got his army
together
and marched to engage the enemy:
and pitched beside the well of Harod; which he
might choose for the refreshment of his army on occasion; or
however
so he
was directed in Providence here
where a trial was to be made of them by water:
this well
or fountain
seems to be the same with that in 1 Samuel 29:1 it
signifies fear and trembling
and might have its name either from the fear and
trembling of the 22
000 Israelites
whose hearts were dismayed at the
Midianites
and they were ordered to return home; or from the fear and
trembling of the Midianites
who were discomfited here; the former seems to be
the true reason
see Judges 7:3 so that
the Midianites were on the north side of them; which Gideon
no doubt
judged
to be an advantageous post to him:
by the hill of Moreh
in the valley; the valley of Jezreel
one of the mountains of Gilboa
as is supposed; the Targum is
"by the hill
which looks to the plain;'from whence he could have a view of the Midianitish
army
and the disposition of it. Some think this hill had its name from the
Midianitish archers; but
according to Kimchi and Ben Melech
from there being
a watch here to direct the ways
or to give notice to the inhabitants of the
valley when an army came against them; though some take it to be a school of
some eminent teacher in those daysF26See Weemse's Christian
Synagogue
l. 1. c. 6. sect. 5. .
Judges 7:2 2 And the Lord said to
Gideon
“The people who are with you are too many for Me to give
the Midianites into their hands
lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me
saying
‘My own hand has saved me.’
YLT
2And Jehovah saith unto
Gideon
`Too many [are] the people who [are] with thee for My giving Midian
into their hand
lest Israel beautify itself against Me
saying
My hand hath
given salvation to me;
And the Lord said unto Gideon
the people that are with thee are
too many
.... It appears
by what follows
that there were 32
000 of them
which was but a small army to engage with one of 100
000 more than they; for
such was the army of the Midianites and their associates
see Judges 8:10 but the
people were too many
says the Lord:
for me to give the Midianites into their hands; who would be
apt to ascribe the victory to themselves
and not to the Lord; to their number
strength
and valour
and not to the hand of the Lord:
lest Israel vaunt themselves against me
saying
mine own hand
hath saved me; or glory over me
take the glory from me
and ascribe it to
themselves
boasting that by their power and prowess they had obtained the
victory.
Judges 7:3 3 Now therefore
proclaim in
the hearing of the people
saying
‘Whoever is fearful and afraid
let
him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the
people returned
and ten thousand remained.
YLT
3and now
call
I pray thee
in the ears of the people
saying
Whoso [is] afraid and trembling
let him
turn back and go early from mount Gilead;' and there turn back of the people
twenty and two thousand
and ten thousand have been left.
Now therefore go to
proclaim in the ears of the people
.... Such a
proclamation as follows
was
according to the law of God
to be made when
Israel went out to battle against their enemies
Deuteronomy 20:8;
though it looks as if Gideon would not have made such proclamation
had he not
been directed to it by the Lord
his army being so small in comparison of the
enemy; and perhaps Gideon might understand that law to have respect only to war
made for the enlargement of their country
and not for defence against
invaders:
saying
whosoever is fearful and afraid; to
engage in
battle
because of the number of the enemy:
let him return
and depart early from Mount Gilead; where it
seems they now were
being the same with the hill of Moreh
or adjoining to it;
a mountain in the tribe of Manasseh
so called either from its likeness to
Mount Gilead on the other side Jordan; or rather in memory of Gilead
the son
of Machir
the son of Manasseh
from whence the half tribe sprung
which was on
this side
as well as that on the other; and perhaps this name might be given to
the mount
to show that they were of the same tribe
though separated by
Jordan: now the fearful and faint hearted had leave given them by this
proclamation to return home directly; and as both armies lay so near
and it
might reasonably be expected the battle would be the next day
they are
directed to get away in the morning
as early as they could
that they might
not be seen
and so be filled with shame themselves
and discourage others.
Though some think Mount Gilead
on the other side Jordan
is meant
from whence
it is supposed many came to Gideon
Judges 6:35 and now
are ordered to return back
as many as were fearful; and instead of
"from"
they render the word "to"
or "towards"
or "beyond" Gilead. Kimchi thinks the word we render "depart
early" has the signification of surrounding
a diadem being expressed by a
word from hence
which encompasses the head
Isaiah 28:5 and so
the sense is
that they were ordered to go round about Mount Gilead
and so
return home; but it rather may signify their hasty departure and speedy flight
like that of a bird
Psalm 11:1 and
there returned of the people 22
000
and there remained 10
000; so that they
were in all 32
000: now though these of their own accord came and joined Gideon
with an intention and resolution to stand by him
and fight the enemy
yet when
they came and saw what a large host they had to engage with
and how small the
army was with Gideon
their hearts failed them
and they were glad to take the
advantage of the proclamation.
Judges 7:4 4 But the Lord said to
Gideon
“The people are still too many; bring them down to the
water
and I will test them for you there. Then it will 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.”
YLT
4And Jehovah saith unto
Gideon
`Yet [are] the people too many; bring them down unto the water
and I
refine it for thee there; and it hath been
he of whom I say unto thee
This
doth go with thee -- he doth go with thee; and any of whom I say unto thee
This doth not go with thee -- he doth not go.'
And the Lord said to Gideon
the people are yet too many
.... Though
they were but just the number that Barak had with him
when he attacked
Sisera's army and got the victory
which yet was ascribed to God
whose hand
was manifestly seen in it; but as these might be supposed to be able men of
valour that remained
they were too many for God to have that glory he intended
to display in this victory:
bring them down unto the water; from the hill on which
they were
to a brook that ran at the bottom of it
perhaps a stream from the
fountain or well of Harod
Judges 7:1.
and I will try them for thee there
or "purge
them"F1אצרפנו "defaecabo"
Drusius; "eliquabo
seu purgabo"
Piscator.
as silver is purged
from dross
so the word signifies
as Kimchi observes
the righteous from the
wicked
as he thinks; who
with others
suppose that by those who bowed on their
knees to drink
were such as had been used to bow the knee to Baal
and the
rest not
and so one were discerned from the other; but this trial was only for
the sake of Gideon
to direct him whom he should take with him
and whom not:
and it shall be
that of whom I say unto thee
this shall go with
thee
the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee
this
shall not go with thee
the same shall not go; by the different manner
of his men drinking at the water
later related
Gideon knew not who should go
with him
and who not
whether they that bowed down to drink
or only lapped
the water; this was determined by the mouth of the Lord
as follows but this
trial was only for the sake of Gideon
to direct him whom he should take with
him
and whom not:
and it shall be
that of whom I say unto thee
this shall go with
thee
the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee
this
shall not go with thee
the same shall not go; by the different manner
of his men drinking at the water
after related
Gideon knew not who should go
with him
and who not
whether they that bowed down to drink
or only lapped
the water; this was determined by the mouth of the Lord
as follows.
Judges 7:5 5 So he brought the people
down to the water. And the Lord 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 gets down on his knees to drink.”
YLT
5And he bringeth down the
people unto the water
and Jehovah saith unto Gideon
`Every one who lappeth
with his tongue of the water as the dog lappeth -- thou dost set him apart;
also every one who boweth on his knees to drink.'
So he brought them down to the water
.... His whole
army of 10
000 men:
and the Lord said unto Gideon
everyone that lappeth of the water
with his tongue
as a dog lappeth
him shall thou set by himself; this has led
some
as particularly Grotius
to think of the Egyptian dogs; of whom Aelianus
relatesF2Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 4.
that they do not drink at once freely
and to satiety
being afraid of the crocodiles in the river; but run about the
bank
and by stealth snatch a little here and a little there
and so satisfy
themselves: but the allusion here is to dogs in common
whose usual way it is
not to sup in
and drink a drought
but by putting out their tongues to lick
and lap water with them
as AristotleF3Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 6.
says all creatures do that have teeth like saws; and the likeness between the
drinking of these men
to be observed lay not in anything else but in the
single action of lapping; for they first took the water in the hollow of their
hands
out of the stream
and then lapped it
as in Judges 7:6 whereas
a dog does not and cannot take water that way; and this lapping was standing
upright
whereas dogs in common
as Aelianus in the same place suggests
bow
themselves
and lap as much water as will satisfy their thirst; and by this
these men were distinguished from those that bowed on their knees to drink; for
had they not taken up water in their hands
they must have bowed down on their
knees to have lapped
as well as those did
to sup it
or take in a large
draught of it; now all those that thus lapped were to be set apart by
themselves; but whether they were to go with Gideon or not
as yet he knew not:
likewise everyone that boweth down on his knee to drink; were to be set by
themselves also
but which of those were to go with him is after related.
Judges 7:6 6 And the number of those
who lapped
putting their hand to their mouth
was three hundred men;
but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.
YLT
6And the number of those
lapping with their hand unto their mouth is three hundred men
and all the rest
of the people have bowed down on their knees to drink water.
And the number of them that lapped
putting their hand to their
mouth
.... That is
that took up water in the hollow of their hands
which they lifted up to their mouths
and so lapped it
as the Egyptians about
the Nile are saidF4Achilles Tatius
l. 4. to do
who drank not out
of pots and cups
but used their hands to drink with:
were three hundred men; only such a number out
of 10
000: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink
water; even 9
700; and it was the custom of some nations
as the Ichthyophagy
or fish eaters
to cast themselves with their face to the ground
and drink
after the manner of oxenF5Strabo. Geograph. l. 16. p. 532. .
Judges 7:7 7 Then the Lord said to
Gideon
“By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you
and deliver the
Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go
every man to his
place.”
YLT
7And Jehovah saith unto
Gideon
`By the three hundred men who are lapping I save you
and have given
Midian into thy hand
and all the people go
each to his place.'
And the Lord said unto Gideon
by the three hundred men that
lapped I will save and deliver the Midianites into thine hand
.... It is hard
to say what character this action of the three hundred is expressive of
whether of weakness or of courage. Some think that those who drank upon their
knees were faint and weary
and men of intemperance
and indulged themselves
and were unfit for war
while those that only lapped a little water to refresh
themselves appeared to be eager
and in haste and readiness to engage in it;
and so Ben Gersom takes those that bowed to be slothful persons
and those that
lapped courageous and mighty men
and so were ordered to be taken and go along
with Gideon; and this agrees with the method before taken
to dismiss the
fearful
and only take those that were men of courage; but JosephusF6Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 6. sect. 3. is of opinion that they that drank upon their knees were
the men of spirit and courage
and those that lapped
such who drank hastily
with trembling
and through fear of the enemy
and these were ordered to go
with Gideon
and not the other: and indeed this most displays the glory of God
to save Israel
and deliver them from the Midianites by a handful of such poor
dispirited creatures. Though it seems that all the 10
000 men were men of
courage; and this method was taken not to distinguish those that were the most
courageous from those that were the least so
but only to reduce the number
that should be engaged in this battle; for it being the summer season
it may
reasonably be supposed that the greater part of the army was very thirsty
and
would kneel down to take a large draught of water
when those that were not so
thirsty would be the fewer number
and so taken:
and let all the other people go every man to his place; all the rest
who bowed on their knees to drink
which were 9
700
these were ordered to
march homewards; though perhaps before they got home
hearing of the victory
they returned and joined in the pursuit
Judges 7:23.
Judges 7:8 8 So the people took
provisions and their trumpets 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.
YLT
8And the people take the
provision in their hand
and their trumpets
and every man of Israel he hath
sent away
each to his tents; and on the three hundred men he hath kept hold
and the camp of Midian hath been by him at the lower part of the valley.
So the people took victuals in their hands and their trumpets
.... That is
the three hundred took victuals of those that departed
as much as was
necessary for them
and also their trumpets
being directed thereunto by
Gideon
no doubt; perhaps they took all the trumpets they had; however
as many
as would furnish every man with one. And from hence it appears
that these
three hundred that were ordered to stay and go with Gideon were unarmed men
at
least could carry no arms in their hands; for in one hand they carried their
victuals
and in the other hand their trumpets
so that the salvation wrought
by them would most clearly appear to be of the Lord:
and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent; not to his
tent in the army
but to his own house
in the tribe and city to which he
belonged: and retained these three hundred men; that had lapped water
to
engage with the Midianites and their associates:
and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley; in the valley
of Jezreel; for it seems as if Gideon
after he had brought down his men to the
water to be tried
went up to the hill again with his three hundred men only
to wait the divine orders
when he should attack the army of Midian below him.
Judges 7:9 9 It happened on the same
night that the Lord
said to him
“Arise
go down against the camp
for I have delivered it into
your hand.
YLT
9And it cometh to pass
on
that night
that Jehovah saith unto him
`Rise
go down into the camp
for I
have given it into thy hand;
And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him
.... The night
after there had been so great a reduction of his army
from 32
000 to three
hundred:
arise
get thee down unto the host
for I have delivered it into
thine hands; that is
go down from the hill where he and his little army
were
to the valley of Jezreel
where lay the numerous host of Midian; assuring
him
that though the disproportion was so very great
the army of Midian should
be delivered into his hands; and it was enough that the Lord had said it
for
him to believe it; but in such circumstances that he was
it is no wonder that
he had his fears and misgivings of heart
wherefore it follows;
Judges 7:10 10 But if you are afraid to
go down
go down to the camp with Purah your servant
YLT
10and if thou art afraid to
go down -- go down
thou and Phurah thy young man
unto the camp
But if thou fear to go down
.... With his little
army
to attack a numerous host in the night
then he is directed to take this
step first:
go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host; in a private
manner; perhaps this man was his aid-de-camp
or however a trusty servant in
whom he could confide
as well as valiant: more it was not proper to take in
such a secret expedition
and the fewer the better to trust
and less liable to
the observation of the enemy; and yet it was proper to have one with him
being
company and animating
and who would be a witness with him of what should be
heard; in like manner
and for like reasons
as Diomedes and Ulysses went into
the Trojan armyF25Homer. Iliad. 10. ver. 222
&c. .
Judges 7:11 11 and you shall hear what
they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the
camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men
who were in the camp.
YLT
11and thou hast heard what
they speak
and afterwards are thy hands strengthened
and thou hast gone down
against the camp.' And he goeth down
he and Phurah his young man
unto the
extremity of the fifties who [are] in the camp;
And thou shalt hear what they shall say
.... The
Midianites
or what shall be said by any of them; for though it was the night
season
and so not a time for much conversation
as it may be supposed to be
the dead of the night; yet something would be said and heard
which is a clear
proof of the prescience of God respecting future contingent events:
and afterwards shall thine hands be strengthened; and his heart
encouraged by what he should hear:
to go down into the camp; in an hostile manner
with his three hundred men
after his return to them:
then went he down with Phurah his servant; first
privately
only they two
leaving his little army on the hill: and came
unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host; the
sentinels
who were without side the camp
and stood complete in armour to
guard it; and they came as near to them
in as still and private manner as they
could
without being discovered. The Septuagint version is
"to the
beginning of the fifty that were in the host;'and the Syriac and Arabic
versions
"to the captain of the fifty;'these might be a party of the outer
guards
consisting of fifty men
with one at the head of them
placed for the
safety of the army in the night season
and to give notice of any approach to
them
or attempt on them.
Judges 7:12 12 Now the Midianites and
Amalekites
all the people of the East
were lying in the valley as numerous as
locusts; and their camels were without number
as the sand by the
seashore in multitude.
YLT
12and Midian and Amalek
and
all the sons of the east are lying in the valley
as the locust for multitude
and of their camels there is no number
as sand which [is] on the sea-shore for
multitude.
And the Midianites and the Amalekites
and the children of the
east
.... The Arabians
who with the Amalekites joined the Midianites
in this expedition:
lay along in the valley in the valley of Jezreel
in their tents
which overspread the valley
or at least great part of it:
like grasshoppers for multitude; or locusts
which
usually come in great numbers
and cover the air and the sun where they fly
and the earth where they light
as they did the land of Egypt; this army
consisted at least of 135
000 men
as is clear from Judges 8:10.
and their camels were without number; as the sand is by the sea
side for multitude; an hyperbolical expression
setting forth the great number of
them which the countries of Midian and Arabia abounded with; and were very
proper to bring with them
to load and carry off the booty they came for
the
fruits of the earth; see Judges 6:4.
Judges 7:13 13 And when Gideon had come
there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said
“I have had a dream:
To my surprise
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
collapsed.”
YLT
13And Gideon cometh in
and
lo
a man is recounting to his companion a dream
and saith
`Lo
a dream I
have dreamed
and lo
a cake of barley-bread is turning itself over into the
camp of Midian
and it cometh in unto the tent
and smiteth it
and it falleth
and turneth it upwards
and the tent hath fallen.'
And when Gideon was come
.... With his servant
near and within hearing the talk and conversation of the outer guards or
sentinels: there was
a man that told a dream unto his fellow; his comrade
that stood next him
and was upon guard with him; perhaps it was a dream he had
dreamed the night before or this selfsame night
being just called up to take
his turn in the watch
and so it was fresh upon his mind:
and said
behold
I dreamed a dream
and
lo; thus it was
as I am going to relate; twice he uses the word "behold"
or
"lo"
the dream having rely much struck and impressed his mind
and
was what he thought worthy of the attention of his comrade:
a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian: barley bread
PlinyF26Nat. Hist. l. 18. c. 7. says
was the most ancient food; the
word for "cake"F1צלול
"umbra"
vid. Gussetium
p. 715. "strepitus"
Tigurine
version; so Kimchi & Ben Gersom; "subcineritius"
V. L.
"tostus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. signifies a
"shadow"
and may design the appearance of a barley loaf; or
something like one to him appeared in the dream: or a "noise"; the
noise of it rolling and tumbling
so that it seemed to the soldier that he
heard a noise
as well as saw something he took for a barley loaf. Jarchi
observes
that it signifies a cake baked upon coals
and it seemed to this man
as if it came smoking hot from the coals
tumbling down an hill
such an one
where Gideon and his army were and rolling into the host of Midian
which lay
in a valley:
and came unto a tent; or
"the tentF2האהל " the largest and most magnificent in the host;
and JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect. 4. calls it expressly the
king's tent
and the Arabic version the tent of the generals:
and smote it that it fell; which might justly seem
strange
that a barley loaf should come with such a force against a tent
perhaps the largest and strongest in the whole camp
which was fastened with
cords to stakes and nails driven into the ground
so as to cause it to fall:
yea
it is added:
and overturned it
that the tent lay along: turned it
topsy-turvy
or turned it "upwards"F4למעלה
"desuper"
Pagninus
Montanus; "superne"
Tigurine version.
as the phrase in the Hebrew text is; it fell with the bottom upwards; it was
entirely demolished
that there was no raising and setting of it up again.
Judges 7:14 14 Then 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.”
YLT
14And his companion answereth
and saith
`This is nothing save the sword of Gideon son of Joash
a man of
Israel; God hath given into his hand Midian and all the camp.'
And his fellow answered and said
.... As the dream was no
doubt from God
so the interpretation of it was; it was he that put into the
mind of the soldier's comrade to whom he told it to interpret it as follows; or
otherwise in all likelihood he would never have thought of it:
this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon
the son of Joash
a
man of Israel; that is
this signifies nothing else
and a fit emblem it was of
him and his little army. A cake is but a small thing
and
let it come tumbling
as it will
can have no force or strength in it equal to overturn a tent; and a
cake of barley is mean and contemptible; and a cake baked under ashes
or on
coals
is what is soon and hastily done
and fitly represented the smallness
and weakness of Gideon's army
their meanness and contemptibleness; the
Israelites being
as JosephusF5Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect.
4.) represents the soldier saying
the vilest of all the people of Asia; and
those that were with Gideon were suddenly and hastily got together
raw and
undisciplined
and very unfit to engage the veteran troops of the united forces
of Midian
Amalek
and Arabia. It appears from hence that Gideon's name was
well known in the camp of Midian
what was his descent
and his character as a
valiant man
which is meant by
a man of Israel; namely
a courageous mighty man
and the
very name of him might strike with terror:
for into his hands hath God delivered Midian and all his host; which the man
concluded from this dream
and the interpretation of it suggested to him from
God
and impressed upon his mind; which he speaks of with the greatest
assurance and confidence
which he was inspired to do
for the strengthening of
Gideon
and the encouragement of him to come down with his army
and fall on
the host of Midian.
Judges 7:15 15 And so it was
when Gideon
heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation
that he worshiped. He
returned to the camp of Israel
and said
“Arise
for the Lord has delivered
the camp of Midian into your hand.”
YLT
15And it cometh to pass
when
Gideon heareth the narration of the dream and its interpretation
that he
boweth himself
and turneth back unto the camp of Israel
and saith
`Rise ye
for Jehovah hath given into your hand the camp of Midian.'
And it was so
when Gideon heard the telling of the dream
and the
interpretation thereof
.... Or
"the breaking of it"F7שברו "fractionem ejus"
Vatablus
Drusius;
"fracturam ejus"
Piscator. ; the dream itself being like something
closed up and sealed
and the interpretation of it was like the breaking of a
seal
and discovering what is hid under it; or like a nut
the kernel of which
cannot be come at till the shell is broken:
that he worshipped; bowed his head with an awful reverence of
God and a sense of his divine Majesty
and worshipped him by sending an
ejaculatory prayer and praise to him; and so the Targum
"and he
praised'praised God for this gracious encouragement he had given
the assurance
of victory he now had; for he saw clearly the hand of God in all this
both in
causing one of the soldiers to dream as he did
and giving the other the
interpretation of it
and himself the hearing of both:
and returned into the host of Israel; such an one
as it was
consisting only of three hundred unarmed men: and said
arise; from
their sleep and beds
it being the night season; and from their tents
and
descend the hill with him:
for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian; he made now
no doubt of it
it was as sure to him as if it had been actually done; hence
Gideon is renowned for his faith
though he sometimes was not without his fits
of diffidence; see Hebrews 11:32.
Judges 7:16 16 Then he divided the three
hundred men into three companies
and he put a trumpet into every man’s
hand
with empty pitchers
and torches inside the pitchers.
YLT
16And he divideth the three
hundred men [into] three detachments
and putteth trumpets into the hand of all
of them
and empty pitchers
and lamps within the pitchers.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies
.... One
hundred in a company
partly to make the better figure
a show of an army
with
a right and left wing
and partly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian
in different parts:
and he put a trumpet in every man's hand; they that
returned of the trumpeters having left their trumpets behind them
whereby there
was a sufficient number for three hundred men; and these were put into their
hands
that when they blew them together
the
noise would be very great; and
it would seem as if they were an exceeding great army
and so very much terrify
their enemies:
with empty pitchers
and lamps with the pitchers; the pitchers
were of earth
and so easily broken
and would make a great noise when clashed
against each other; and these were empty of water
or otherwise would not have
been fit to put lamps into
and the lamps put in them were not of oil; for
then
when the pitchers were broken
the oil would have run out; but were a
kind of torches
made of rosin
wax
pitch
and such like things; and these
were put into the pitcher
partly to preserve them from the wind
and chiefly
to conceal them from the enemy
till just they came upon them
and then held
them out; which in a dark night would make a terrible blaze
as before they
served to give them light down the hill into the camp.
Judges 7:17 17 And he said to them
“Look
at me and do likewise; watch
and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall
do as I do:
YLT
17And he saith unto them
`Look at me
and thus do; and lo
I am coming into the extremity of the camp --
and it hath been -- as I do so ye do;
And he said unto them
look on me
and do likewise
.... Observe
what I do
and do the same
in blowing a trumpet
breaking a pitcher
and
shouting with the words expressed by him:
and
behold
when I come to the outside of the camp; where the
sentinels stood
and the watch was set:
it shall be
that as I do
so shall ye do; and not
before; a trumpet was not to be blown
nor a pitcher broken
nor a torch held
out
nor a word spoken
till just they came to the outside of the camp: and
then they were to observe the motions of Gideon
and do as he did.
Judges 7:18 18 When I blow the trumpet
I
and all who are with me
then you also blow the trumpets on every side
of the whole camp
and say
‘The sword of the Lord and of
Gideon!’”
YLT
18and I have blown with a
trumpet -- I and all who [are] with me
and ye have blown with trumpets
even
ye
round about all the camp
and have said
For Jehovah and for Gideon.'
When I blow with a trumpet
I and all that are with me
.... He being
at the head of one of the three companies
Judges 7:19 perhaps
the middlemost
which might stand for the body of the army; and the other two
be one to the right and the other to the left of him
and so could more easily
discover his motions:
then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp; for it seems
they were so disposed as to be around the camp
which when the trumpets were
blown at once on every side
with such a blaze of light
and crashing of the
pitchers
must be very terrifying
as if there was no way for them to escape
and especially when they should hear the following dreadful sounds:
and say
the sword of the Lord
and of Gideon; or "for
the Lord
and for Gideon"; and which may be supplied
either the light is
for the Lord
and for Gideon; or the victory is for the Lord
and for Gideon;
we supply it from Judges 7:20. The
name Jehovah
these Heathens had often heard
as the God of Israel
would now
be dreadful to them
and the name of Gideon also; whose name
as appears by the
interpretation of the dream
was terrible among them; for which reason Gideon
added it
and not out of arrogance and vanity; and puts it after the name of
the Lord
as being only an instrument the Lord thought fit to make use of
otherwise all the glory belonged to him.
Judges 7:19 19 So Gideon and the hundred
men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning
of the middle watch
just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the
trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
YLT
19And Gideon cometh -- and
the hundred men who [are] with him -- into the extremity of the camp
[at] the
beginning of the middle watch (it hath only just confirmed the watchmen)
and
they blow with trumpets -- dashing in pieces also the pitchers which [are] in
their hand;
So Gideon
and the one hundred men that were with him
.... Which was
one of the three companies his army was divided into
and which company he had
the command of particularly:
came unto the outside of the camp
in the beginning of the middle
watch; the second watch
for the night was divided into three watches;
for though in later times there were four watches
among the RomansF8Liv.
Hist. l. 36. c. 24. "Suidas in. voce" προφνλακη
"et in voce" φνλακη
and which the Jews received from them; hence in the New Testament we read of
the fourth watch; yet in earlier times
with the Jews and other eastern
nations
there were but three watches
as affirmed by Jarchi and Kimchi on the
place: and very wisely did Gideon fix on this watch for the time of his coming;
for had he come at the first watch
many as yet might not have been in bed
or
at least not fallen asleep; and had he come in the third watch
many might have
been awake out of their sleep
and others up; but he took this time
a little
after midnight
in the dead of the night
when the whole army was fast asleep:
and they had but newly set the watch; the first
watch were just gone off
and the second were placed in their room; but since
such an observation seems in a good measure unnecessary
for as Gideon came in
the beginning of the watch it must in course be newly set; rather the words may
be rendered
"in raising they raised up the watch"F9הקם הקימו את
השמרים "suscitando suscitaverunt custodes"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; that is
Gideon and his men did it by their approach; and
they might call to them on purpose to give the alarm to the army
who upon that
would at once hear the sound of the trumpets
and the clattering of the
pitchers
and see the torches burning
to their great surprise:
and they blew the trumpets
and brake the pitchers that were in
their hands; as soon as they came up to the watch and had raised them; this
did Gideon and his hundred men.
Judges 7:20 20 Then the three companies
blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left
hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried
“The
sword of the Lord
and of Gideon!”
YLT
20and the three detachments
blow with trumpets
and break the pitchers
and keep hold with their left hand
on the lamps
and with their right hand on the trumpets to blow
and they cry
`The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.'
And the three companies blew the trumpets
and brake the pitchers
.... The other
two
observing what Gideon and his company did
followed their example
and at
the same time blew their trumpets
and broke their pitchers; for that there
were four companies
three besides Gideon's
as Kimchi and Ben Melech suggest
there is no reason to believe:
and held the lamps in their left hands; which they
took out of the pitchers when they broke them
and holding them up in their
left hands
gave a great blaze of light
which must be very surprising to the
host of Midian
just awaked out of their sleep:
and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal; and which
they continued blowing
the sound of which must be very dreadful
since it
might be concluded
from such a number of trumpets
that there must be a vast
army:
and they cried
the sword of the Lord and of Gideon; signifying
that was drawn against the Midianites
and they must expect to be cut in pieces
by it
since the sword was Jehovah's
sent and commissioned by him
and was put
into the hand of Gideon as an instrument
with which execution would be done
the Lord helping him. The Targum is
"the sword of the Lord
and victory by
the hand of Gideon'which victory was to be ascribed to the sword and power of
God. This was an emblem of the efficacy of the word of God
accompanied with
his power
to the destruction of the kingdom of Satan; the blowing of the
trumpets may denote the ministration of the Gospel
the great trumpet to be
blown by the apostles and ministers of the word; the holding forth the lamps
may signify the same
the light of the divine word in the ministers of it
and
the holding forth of it to others; and which is carried in earthen vessels
frail mortal men; and done that the excellency of the power may appear to be of
God
and not of men; and the sword of the Lord is the word of God in the mouths
of ministers
accompanied by the power of God; for it can only be through God
that such weapons of warfare can become mighty to do the execution that is done
by them; see 2 Corinthians 4:7
blowing of trumpets
and then a cry or shout of the soldiers to terrify the
enemy
were used in later timesF11"At tuba terribilem
sonitum"
&c. Virgil Aeneid. 9. .
Judges 7:21 21 And every man stood in his
place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.
YLT
21And they stand each in his
place
round about the camp
and all the camp runneth
and they shout
and
flee;
And they stood every man in his place around the camp
.... To see
the salvation of God
and that it might most clearly appear to be his own
doing; and indeed
had they gone into it
they could have done nothing; they
had no weapons in their hands
a trumpet in one hand
and a lamp in the other;
though this their position served to increase the terror of the enemy
who
might suppose that they stood either to light and introduce a large army at the
back of them; or to light the forces already in the midst of them
while they
destroyed them; which latter seems rather to be the thing their imaginations
were possessed with
since they fell to slaying their fellows
supposing them
to be enemies
as in the following verse:
and all the host ran
and cried
and fled; or "were
broken"F12רוץ "confracta"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus. ; as some render the first word
their lines were
broken; they could not put themselves in rank and file
but were thrown into
the utmost confusion; and cried as being in the utmost danger of their lives
and fled for their safety as fast
as they could; see Isaiah 27:13.
Judges 7:22 22 When the three hundred
blew the trumpets
the Lord
set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the
army fled to Beth Acacia
[a] toward
Zererah
as far as the border of Abel Meholah
by Tabbath.
YLT
22and the three hundred blow
the trumpets
and Jehovah setteth the sword of each against his companion
even
through all the camp; and the camp fleeth unto Beth-Shittah
at Zererath
unto
the border of Abel-Meholah
by Tabbath.
And the three hundred men blew the trumpets
.... Kept
blowing them to continue and increase the terror of the enemy
and still held
the lamps in their hands
and stood as torch bearers to light the Midianites
and their associates to destroy one another
as follows:
and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow throughout
the host; and so slew one another; either suspecting treachery
as
Grotius
and so in revenge
wrath
and indignation
drew their swords on each
other; or through the terror and amazement they were in at the sounds they
heard
and the blazing torches dazzling their eyes
they knew not what they
did
or who they fell upon
taking their friends for foes
supposing the
Israelites were got into their camp; and the rather they might be led into this
mistake
since there were people of different languages among them
as JosephusF13Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 6. sect. 5. observes; but the thing was of God
it was he that took
away their reason and judgment from them
and infatuated them
and filled their
imaginations with such strange apprehensions of things; and threw into their
minds such terror and amazement
and directed them to point their swords at one
another:
and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath; that is
which was left of it
which had not destroyed each other; the first of these
places should be read Bethhashittah; and perhaps had its name from the
"shittah" or "shittim" trees which might grow near it in
plenty
or the houses in it might be built of shittim wood; or it may be here
stood a temple formerly dedicated to some deity of this name
and near it a
grove of the above trees. Zererath
Kimchi observes
is written with two
"reshes"
or R's
to distinguish it from another place called
Tzeredah; but where either of these places mentioned were cannot be
particularly said; though it is highly probable they were in the tribe of
Manasseh
and in the way to Jordan
whither in all probability the Midianites
would steer their course to escape to their own land:
and to the border of Abelmeholah unto Tabbath; the former of
these was the birth place of Elisha the prophet
1 Kings 19:16 and
it appears very plainly that it was in the tribe of Manasseh
being mentioned
with other places in that tribe
1 Kings 4:12.
JeromeF14De loc. Heb. fol. 88. M. under this word says
there was in
his time a village in Aulon
or the plain
ten miles from Scythopolis to the
south
which was called Bethahula; and the Targum is
"to the border of the
plain of Abelmeholah;'but of Tabbath we nowhere else read.
Judges 7:23 23 And the men of Israel
gathered together from Naphtali
Asher
and all Manasseh
and pursued the
Midianites.
YLT
23And the men of Israel are
called from Naphtali
and from Asher
and from all Manasseh
and pursue after
Midian.
And the men of Israel gathered themselves together
.... Not out
of all the tribes
but out of those which lay nearest
and which are
particularly mentioned:
out of Naphtali
and out of Asher
and out of all Manasseh: and these
seem to be the same persons out of those tribes who first joined Gideon
but
were separated from his army; both those that were fearful
and those that
bowed their knees to drink
and who perhaps had not gone far before they heard
of the defeat and flight of the Midianites; and therefore though they had not
courage to face the enemy
at least most of them
yet had spirit enough to
pursue a flying enemy; wherefore they returned
or however directed their
course the nearest way
where they supposed they fled:
and pursued after the Midianites; and those that were with
them.
Judges 7:24 24 Then Gideon sent messengers
throughout all the mountains of Ephraim
saying
“Come down against the
Midianites
and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and
the Jordan.” Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the
watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.
YLT
24And messengers hath sent
Gideon into all the hill-country of Ephraim
saying
`Come down to meet Midian
and capture before them the waters unto Beth-Barah
and the Jordan;' and every
man of Ephraim is called
and they capture the waters unto Beth-Barah
and the
Jordan
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim
.... To raise
the inhabitants of it
who lay nearer Jordan
to which the Midianites would
make
in order to intercept them in their flight; or however get possession of
the fords of Jordan before them
and hinder their passage over it:
saying
come down against the Midianites; for though he
had routed them
and they were fled before him
yet he had not men enough with
him to destroy them; and besides
as they had their camels to ride on
and he
and his men only on foot
they could not come up with them:
and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan; namely
all
the fords and passages over Jordan
reaching from the lake of Gennesaret to
Bethbarah
the same with Bethabara
John 1:28 which was
a passage over Jordan; or these waters were
as Kimchi thinks
distinct from
those of Jordan; and were waters that lay in the way of the flight of the
Midianites
before they came to Bethbarah
their passage over Jordan; and
Jarchi thinks they were waters
which divided between Syria and the land of
Canaan
which is not likely; others think the waters are the same with Jordan
and render the words
"take the waters" --even JordanF15"Nempe
Jordanis aquas"
Junius & Tremellius; "nempe Jordanem"
Piscator. ; gain the passes over that before them
and so prevent their escape
to their own land:
then all the men of Ephraim; that is
great numbers
of them
whose hearts were inclined to
and whose situation lay best for this
service:
gathered themselves together; in a body
at some place
of rendezvous appointed:
and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan; took possession
of all the passes
and guarded them
as Gideon directed.
Judges 7:25 25 And 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.
YLT
25and they capture two of the
heads of Midian
Oreb
and Zeeb
and slay Oreb at the rock of Oreb
and Zeeb
they have slain at the wine-vat of Zeeb
and they pursue unto Midian; and the
heads of Oreb and Zeeb they have brought in unto Gideon beyond the Jordan.
And they took two princes of the Midianites
Oreb and Zeeb
.... The one
signifies a "raven"
and the other a "wolf"; which were
either nicknames given them because of their voraciousness and cruelty
or
which they took themselves
or their ancestors before them
to make themselves
terrible to others; so the Romans had the families of the Corvini
&c.
and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb; perhaps they
found him in a cave of the rock
and dragging him out slew him
from whence the
rock afterwards had its name. So we read of the rock Corax in HomerF16Odyss.
13. "prope finem".
which was in Ithaca
and another high mountain
of the same name in Aetolia
mentioned by LivyF17Hist. l. 36. c. 30.
and which signifies the same as Oreb. This is a different rock or mountain from
Horeb
the same with Sinai
from whence the law was given; which always ought
to be written with an "H" or "Ch"
to distinguish it from
this; though that is written Oreb by LactantiusF18De vera Sap. l. 4.
c. 17.
and so by MiltonF19Paradise Lost
l. 1. ver. 7.
contrary
to the propriety of the language:
and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; the Targum
is
the plain of Zeeb
which
as Kimchi and Ben Gersom suppose
was in the form
of a winepress
having high lips or hills around it
and which afterwards took
its name from this prince being slain in it:
and pursued Midian; the rest of the Midianites
even beyond
Jordan
those that got over it:
and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side
Jordan; that is
when he had passed over it the next morning
as Jarchi
remarks; for after this we read of Gideon's going over Jordan
Judges 8:4 unless
this is said by way of anticipation; though the phrase will bear to be
rendered
"on this side Jordan"
for it signifies both. It seems they
cut off the heads of those two princes
and presented them to Gideon
as it has
been usual to bring the heads of enemies to kings and conquerors; see 1 Samuel 17:54.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)