CHAPTER 7. GIDEON SMITES THE MIDIANITE CONFEDERACY. In this chapter we have an account of the army gathered out of several tribes under Gideon, which were finally reduced under God's instructions from thirty two large units to three hundred men, and we are told by what means this was done, and how... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 7. GIDEON SMITES THE MIDIANITE CONFEDERACY. In this chapter we have an account of the army gathered out of several tribes under Gideon, which were finally reduced under God's instructions from thirty two large units to three hundred men, and we are told by what means this was done, and how... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, my own hand has saved me.” ' Gideon undoubtedly wondered whether his thirty two units would be sufficient. But Yahweh declared that t... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people saying, whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return, and depart (or ‘chirp' - from the Arabic) from Mount Gilead.” This was in accordance with Deuteronomy 20:8. The purpose was so that they might not spread fear among the remainder. “DEP... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will try (‘separate by refining') them for you there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to you, this shall go with you, the same shall go with you, and of whoever I say to you, this shall not go with yo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So he brought down the people to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him you will set by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down on his knee to drink.” ' The distinction was to be between those who took water in their hands and lapp... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And 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.' Now, no doubt to Gideon's dismay, his ten larger units had been reduced to three much smaller units. The number three represents c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. And let all the people go, every man to his place.” ' Then Yahweh confirmed to Gideon that by these three smaller units of men would deliverance come and the enemy be defeate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the people took victuals in their hand, and their ram's horns, and he sent all the men of Israel, every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.' This may mean that the people handed their ram's horns over to Gideon i.e. ‘took th... [ Continue Reading ]
GIDEON LEARNS THAT YAHWEH HAS MADE THE ENEMY AFRAID OF HIM (JUDGES 7:9). Judges 7:9 ‘ And so it was that the same night Yahweh said to him, “rise, get yourself down into the camp, for I have delivered it into your hands.” ' Now that everything was ready the command came to advance. The waiting w... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 7:10 A ‘But if you are afraid to go down, you yourself go with Purah, your servant, down to the camp. And you will hear what they say, and afterwards your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp.' So God gave him permission to go out as a scout to assess the enemy, assuring him... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels were without number as the sand which is on the sea shore for multitude.' As they crawled nearer they could see stretching before them the camp fires indic... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And when Gideon was come, behold there was a man who told a dream to his fellow, and said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the Tent, and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the Tent lay along.” ' As they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And his fellow answered and said, “This is none other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand has God delivered Midian and all the host.” ' His companion certainly had no doubt as to its meaning. News had reached the camp about this man Gideon who had mustered t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEFEAT OF THE MIDIANITES AND THEIR ALLIES (JUDGES 7:15). Judges 7:15 ‘ And it was so that, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, he worshipped. And he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has delivered into your hand the host of Midian.” '... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them ram's horns, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. And he said to them, “Watch me, and do the same. And behold when I come to the extremity of the camp it shall be that as I do, so y... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ So Gideon, and the one hundred men who were with him, came to the extremity of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the ram's horns and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands, and the three companies blew the ram's horns... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they stood every man in his place around the camp, and all the host ran about, and they shouted and put them to flight.' The courage needed by these men was immense. Had they been discovered they would probably have died instantly, or even worse. But they stood in their place, blew their ram's... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they blew the three hundred ram's horns, and Yahweh set every man's sword against his fellow and against all the host.' The three hundred continued to blow as they watched the disorder revealed in the camp, by cries, and clashes of steel, and moving torches, and Yahweh fed the panic until it b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the men of Israel were gathered together, out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.' The enemy having been routed by Yahweh, the chase now began. The three hundred would be first in pursuit (Judges 8:4). The ten units in their tents would be the next... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, come down against Midian and take before them the waters as far as Bethbarah, even the Jordan.' Not wanting the enemy to escape too easily Gideon sent fast messengers to Ephraim and asked them to move down and guard the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, beyond Jordan.' Chronologically this happened after Gideon had crossed the Jordan (com... [ Continue Reading ]