Judges 7:1

_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._ Jerubbaal - (cf. Judges 6:32.) This had now become Gideon's honourable sirname-`the enemy of Baal,' well-rather, 'spring of Harod' - i:e., 'fear, trembling;' probably the same as the fountain in Jezreel (1 Samuel 29:1). It was situated not far from Gilboa, on the confines of Manasseh; and the name "Harod" was bestowed on it with evident reference to the panic which seized the majority of Gideon's troops. The host of the Midianites were on the northern side of the valley, seemingly deeper down in the descent toward the Jordan, near a little eminence....

CHAPTER VII _The Lord commands Gideon to make a selection of a small number_ _of his men to go against the Midianites. Three hundred only_ _are selected; and into the hands of these God promises to_ _deliver the whole Midianitish host_, 1-8. _Gideon is directed to go down unto the host in the night, that_ _he may be encouraged on hearing what they say_, 9-12. _He obeys, and hears a Midianite tell a remarkable dream unto his_ _fellow, which predicted the success of his attack_, 13-15. _He takes encouragement, divides his men into three companies,_...

THE WELL OF HAROD - i. e. of trembling, evidently so called from the people who were afraid Judges 7:3. It is identified with great probability with Ain Jalud, a spacious pool at the foot of Gilboa; (by Conder, with Ain el Jem’ain (the spring of the two troops)). Moreh was, probably, the little Hermon, the Jebel ed-Duhy of the Arabs, which encloses the plain two or three miles north of Gilboa, which shuts it in on the south....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 7:1 JERUBBAAL. The mention of this name seems intended to keep before our minds that it is emphatically the servant of the Lord who is going forth to victory. THE WELL OF HAROD, _i.e._ of _trembling_,_ _so called, no doubt, from the incident recorded in Judges 7:3, that every one who was _afraid _(Hebrew, _hared_)_ _departed from Mount Gilead. The well of _Harod _is not mentioned elsewhere, though two of David's mighty men are called Harodites (2 Samuel 23:25); but it is thought to be identical with "the fountain which is in Jezreel" ...

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 wer

CHAPTER 7 THE VICTORY OF GIDEON _ 1. The sifting of Gideon's army (Judges 7:1)_ 2. The dream of the Midianite (Judges 7:9) 3. Victory through weakness (Judges 7:16) Gideon “the cutter down,” now also called Jerubbaal “the contender with Baal,” after his faith had been strengthened, pitched his camp at the well of Harod (trembling). The Lord did not need the large army he had gathered, lest Israel would say: “Mine own hand hath saved me.” First 22,000 were let go. They were afraid. What an evidence of the sad conditions among the people. Jehovah had commanded through Moses this test. “And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint he

THE REDUCTION OF GIDEON'S ARMY. This section teaches that Yahweh is the giver of victory, and that it is as easy for Him to save by few as by many (1 Samuel 14:6). The spring of Harod (trembling, _cf._ Judges 7:3) may be - Ain Jâ lû d, 2 m. from Jezreel, at the foot of Gilboa (p. 30). The hill of Moreh may be Little Hermon. Gilead (Judges 7:3) is on the eastern side of the Jordan, and we should probably read Gilboa. Judges 7:3. The number of those who, in modern phrase, showed the white feather, is surprisingly great. Gideon lets them go, having no use for the fearful and trembling....

HOST. camp....

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 _Gideon_has 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

_GIDEON, BY THE COMMAND OF GOD, SELECTS A SMALL NUMBER OUT OF HIS ARMY TO GO AGAINST THE MIDIANITES; WHO ARE PUT TO FLIGHT, AND DESTROY EACH OTHER. THEIR TWO PRINCES, OREB AND ZEEB, ARE TAKEN AND SLAIN._ _Before Christ 1267._...