THEN Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: 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.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

1Then Ierubbaal (who is Gideon) and all the people that were with him, rose vp earely, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the hoste of the Midianites were on the North side of them by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people that are with thee, are too many for me to giue the Midianites into their handes, lest Israel vaunt themselues against mee, saying, Mine owne hand hath saued me.

3Now therefore go to, proclaime in the eares of the people, saying, Whosoeuer is fearefull and afraid, let him returne and depart earely from mount Gilead: and there returned of the people twentie and two thousand, & there remained ten thousand.

4And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people are yet too many: bring them downe vnto the water, and I wil trie them for thee there: and it shall bee that of whome I say vnto thee, This shall goe with thee, the same shall goe with thee: and of whomsoeuer I say vnto thee, This shal not goe with thee, the same shall not goe.

5So he brought downe the people vnto the water: and the Lord sayd vnto Gideon, Euery one that lappeth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himselfe, likewise euery one that boweth downe vpon his knees to drinke.

6And the number of them that lapped putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed downe vpon their knees to drinke water.

7And the Lord said vnto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped, will I saue you, and deliuer the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people goe euery man vnto his place.

8So the people tooke victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel, euery man vnto his tent, and reteined those three hundred men: and the hoste of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 And it came to passe the same night, that the Lord sayd vnto him, Arise, get thee downe vnto the hoste, for I haue deliuered it into thine hand.

10But if thou feare to goe downe, goe thou with Phurah thy seruant downe to the hoste.

11And thou shalt heare what they say, and afterward shall thine handes be strengthened to goe downe vnto the hoste. Then went hee downe, with Phurah his seruant, vnto the outside of the armed men, that were in the hoste.

12And the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the children of the East, lay along in the valley like grashoppers for multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand by the Sea side for multitude.

13And when Gideon was come, beholde, there was a man that tolde a dreame vnto his fellow, and sayd, Behold, I dreamed a dreame, and loe, a cake of Barley bread tumbled into the hoste of Midian, and came vnto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and ouerturned it, that the tent lay along.

14And his fellow answered, and said, This is nothing els saue the sword of Gideon the sonne of Ioash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God deliuered Midian, and all the hoste.

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dreame, and the interpretation thereof, that hee worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and sayd, Arise, for the Lord hath deliuered into your hand the host of Midian.

16And he diuided the three hundred men into three companies, and hee put a trumpet in euery mans hand, with empty pitchers, and lampes within the pitchers,

17And hee said vnto them, Looke on mee, and doe likewise; and beholde, when I come to the outside of the campe, it shall be that as I doe, so shall ye doe.

18When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with mee, then blow ye the trumpets also on euery side of all the campe, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon and the hundred men that were with him, came vnto the outside of the campe, in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

20And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lampes in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withall: and they cryed, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.

21And they stood euery man in his place, round about the campe: and all the host ranne, and cried, and fled.

22And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set euery mans sword against his fellow, euen throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah, in Zererath, and to the border of Abel Meholah, vnto Tabbath.

23And the men of Israel gathered themselues together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying; Come downe against the Midianites, and take before them the waters vnto Beth-barah, and Iordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselues together, and tooke the waters vnto Beth-barah, and Iordane.

25And they tooke two Princes of the Midianites, Oreb, and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb vpon the rocke Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepresse of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, to Gideon on the other side Iordan.

I == Judg 6:32

 

 

 

II ==Deut 8:17 ; Isa 10:13 ; 1st Cor 1:29 ; 2nd Cor 4:7

 

 

III == Deut 20:8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == 1st Dam 14:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Gen 46:2-3

 

 

 

XI == Gen 24:14 ; Ex 13:18 ; Judg 7:13-15 ; 1st Sam 14:9-10

 

 

XII == Judg 8:5 , 33 ;' 8:10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Ex 14:13-14 ; 2nd Kings 7:7 ; 2nd Chr 20:17

XXII == Josh 6:4 , 16 , 20 ; 1st Sam 14:20 ; 2nd Chr 20:23 ; Ps 83:9 ; Isa 9:4 ; 2nd Cor 4:7

 

 

 

XXIV == Judg 3:27-28 ; John 1:28

 

 

 

 

XXV == Judg 8:3-4 ; Ps 83:11 ; Isa 10:26

 

 

 

 

1 Early the next morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) encamped by Enharod with all his soldiers. The camp of Midian was in the valley north of Gibeath-hammoreh.

2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many soldiers with you for me to deliver Midian into their power, lest Israel vaunt itself against me and say, 'My own power brought me the victory.'

3 Now proclaim to all the soldiers, 'If anyone is afraid or fearful, let him leave.'" When Gideon put them to this test on the mountain, twenty-two thousand of the soldiers left, but ten thousand remained.

4 The LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many soldiers. Lead them down to the water and I will test them for you there. If I tell you that a certain man is to go with you, he must go with you. But no one is to go if I tell you he must not."

5 When Gideon led the soldiers down to the water, the LORD said to him, "You shall set to one side everyone who laps up the water as a dog does with its tongue; to the other, everyone who kneels down to drink."

6 Those who lapped up the water raised to their mouths by hand numbered three hundred, but all the rest of the soldiers knelt down to drink the water.

7 The LORD said to Gideon, "By means of the three hundred who lapped up the water I will save you and will deliver Midian into your power. So let all the other soldiers go home."

8 Their horns, and such supplies as the soldiers had with them, were taken up, and Gideon ordered the rest of the Israelites to their tents, but kept the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Go, descend on the camp, for I have delivered it up to you.

10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your aide Purah.

11 When you hear what they are saying, you will have the courage to descend on the camp." So he went down with his aide Purah to the outposts of the camp.

12 The Midianites, Amalekites, and all the Kedemites lay in the valley, as numerous as locusts. Nor could their camels be counted, for these were as many as the sands on the seashore.

13 When Gideon arrived, one man was telling another about a dream. "I had a dream," he said, "that a round loaf of barley bread was rolling into the camp of Midian. It came to our tent and struck it, and as it fell it turned the tent upside down."

14 "This can only be the sword of the Israelite Gideon, son of Joash," the other replied. "God has delivered Midian and all the camp into his power."

15 When Gideon heard the description and explanation of the dream, he prostrated himself. Then returning to the camp of Israel, he said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your power."

16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and provided them all with horns and with empty jars and torches inside the jars.

17 "Watch me and follow my lead," he told them. "I shall go to the edge of the camp, and as I do, you must do also.

18 When I and those with me blow horns, you too must blow horns all around the camp and cry out, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'"

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the posting of the guards. They blew the horns and broke the jars they were holding.

20 All three companies blew horns and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right the horns they were blowing, and cried out, "A sword for the LORD and Gideon!"

21 They all remained standing in place around the camp, while the whole camp fell to running and shouting and fleeing.

22 But the three hundred men kept blowing the horns, and throughout the camp the LORD set the sword of one against another. The army fled as far as Beth-shittah in the direction of Zarethan, near the border of Abel-meholah at Tabbath.

23 The Israelites were called to arms from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

24 Gideon also sent messengers throughout the mountain region of Ephraim to say, "Go down to confront Midian, and seize the water courses against them as far as Beth-barah, as well as the Jordan." So all the Ephraimites were called to arms, and they seized the water courses as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan as well.

25 They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian and carried the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

v 1-3. Hill of Moreh, v1 and Mount Gilead, v 3 were the same or nearby. Gilead may have been Mount Gilboa, a little to the south. To prove the victory was the Lord’s, even though facing 135,000 men, God had him cut the force from 32,000 to 10,000.

 

 

 

 

v 4-8. The cut was again made to only 300 men by eliminating those who knelt to drink in favor of those who scooped up water in their hand. Some say this showed the 300 were more alert and prepared for battle. Josephus and others claim their refusal to kneel and drink showed they were fearful and insecure, and say the Lord was cutting to a hopelessly inferior force. Either way, the selection was the Lord’s. Ilustrate by the top three lines being Midianites, the fourth long line being 32,000, the short one 10,000 and the dot 300. --------------------------------------                                                                

Amazing or not, 22,000 admitted they were scared and left rather than fight for their families. The 300 retained provisions, lamps and trumpets from the fearful.

 

 

 

 

v 9-14. Not withstanding the miracles already performed in 6:21 and 36-40, God knew Gideon would be fearful, with such a small force, so he allowed Gideon and his servant more assurance. That the opposing army would appear as the sand of the sea, but it was a hyperbolic statement, since the number was 135,000. The dream of the barley loaf smashing a tent may have been interpreted by a perceptive soldier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 15. It gave Gideon confidence and he went away worshipping God and then reassured the others.

 

v 16-18. He still used wise strategy to alarm the enemy.

 

 

 

v 19-22. Ordinarily there would be a light and trumpet for several thousand men, which made it seem like a vast army surrounded the Midianite camp. Both watches would be milling around drowsy, whether at 2:00 A M or 10:00 P M as some say the Midianite watch was described. In the confusion and darkness they panicked and began attacking anything that moved, each other, in an attempt to escape.
Some make application that we are vessels with Christ in us. As the pitchers, we must be broken before the light of Christ can be seen and men glorify God.

 

 

 

v 23. Probably the rest of the army lingered nearby and now had the courage to join the attack, as well as many others from the surrounding area.

v 24,25. The escape route headed farther south near Ephraim, so messengers were quickly sent to have Ephraim cut off the fords of the Jordan. (The location of Bethabara is unknown.) Some escaped, but two main Midianite princes were caught and killed on the spot.