Judges 7:1

This verse is the continuation of Judges 6:34; the thread of the narrative is taken up again in Judges 7:8 b. The intervening Judges 7:2 a are dependent upon Judges 6:35.

who is Gideon A gloss, as in Judges 8:35. The wording suggests that the earliest form of the narrative used the name Jerub-baal, for which Gideonhas been substituted in almost every instance. In ch. 9, which is comparatively free from editorial changes, the name is always Jerub-baal.

the spring of Harod Traditionally identified with -Ain Jâlûd, about 1¾ miles E.S.E. of Zer-în (Jezreel). The spring issues from a cave at the foot of a hill which belongs to the Gilboa range, now called Jebel Fuḳû-a; a large shallow pool spreads out in front of the cave, and the water flows away in a small stream towards the east. Thus Gideon, posted on the hill of Gilboa, was able to command the valuable water-supply at the foot; the Midianite camp lay opposite to him in the valley below (Judges 7:8 b); the stream would afford an outer line of defence. See G. A. Smith, Hist. Geogr., 397 ff. There are two other springs in the neighbourhood, but neither of them suits the requirements so well as -Ain Jâlûd; the identification, however, cannot be called certain.

by the hill of Moreh The marg. is more accurate, from the hill of Morehonwards in the valley; the prep. fromis awkward and obscures the sense. A slight correction (bethfor min) clears the situation; on the hill of Moreh in the valley. Other corrections are: -was below him, on the north of the hill of M." (Budde); -was on the north of the hill of M." (Moore). The hill of Morehwas probably the hill of Shunem, the -Little Hermon" of St Jerome, now called Nebî Dạḥî; it was here that the Philistines took up their position before the fatal battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4). The hill of the môrehmeans the hill of the teacher; it was the seat of a holy place where divine teaching was given. En-dor (now -En-dûr), the home of the woman that had a familiar spirit, lay on the northern spur of the hill; cf. Psalms 83:10.

in the valley i.e. the valley of Jezreel, Judges 6:33.