Judges 7:13

_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._ I dreamed ... and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled. This was a characteristic and very expressive dream for an Arab in the circumstances. The rolling down the hill, striking against the tents, and overturning them, naturally enough connected it in his mind with the position and meditated attack of the Israelite leader. The circumstance of the cake, too, was very significant (Bahr's 'Symbolik,' 2:, 8, sec. 445). Barley was usually the food of the poor, and of beasts; but most probably, from the widespread destruction of that crops by the invaders, multitudes must have been reduced to poor and scanty fare....

9-15 The dream seemed to have little meaning in it; but the interpretation evidently proved the whole to be from the Lord, and discovered that the name of Gideon had filled the Midianites with terror. Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success; without delay he worshipped and praised God, and returned with confidence to his three hundred men. Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that which encourages our faith. And his providence must be acknowledged in events, though small and seemingly accidental....

Verse Judges 7:13. _TOLD A DREAM_] Both the dream and the interpretation were inspired by God for the purpose of increasing the confidence of Gideon, and appalling his enemies....

A CAKE OF BARLEY BREAD - i. e. such a cake as could hardly be eaten by men, it was so vile: a term expressive of the contempt of the Midianites for the people of Israel. A TENT - The tent, meaning, probably, the tent of the king of Midian, or of the captain of the host....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 7:9 GET THEE DOWN, etc; _i.e_. attack the camp at once with thy 300 men. But if thou art afraid to do so, go down first alone with Phurah thy servant, and hear what they are saying in the camp. JUDGES 7:11 THE ARMED MEN. The exact meaning of the word here rendered _armed men _(_chamushim_),_ _and which occurs Exodus 13:18; Joshua 1:14; Joshua 4:12, is a little uncertain, but it is generally thought to be synonymous with another

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, Pliny z says, was the most ancient food; the word for "cake" a signifies a "shadow", and may design the appearance of a barley loaf; or something like one to him appeare...

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

GIDEON'S VISIT TO THE MIDFANITE CAMP. The heroic leader was next encouraged, not by a dream of his own, but by one which he heard told at night in the camp of the enemy. The significant features of the dream are the tent, the symbol of the Midianite nomads, and the cake of barley bread, the symbol of the Israelite peasants. As the little barley cake overturns the huge tent, so Israel is to defeat the host of Midian. Judges 7:14. Read This is nothing but the men of Israel, the words Gideon the son of Joash being probably a later insertion. It is not Gideon, but Gideon's little band of gallant yeomen (Judges 7:15_ b_), that corresponds to the dreamer's cake....

BEHOLD... BEHOLD... LO. Figure of speech _Asterismos_ (three times). App-6. A DREAM. See note on Genesis 20:3....

_Gideon visits the Midianite camp_ 9 _.the same night_ Probably the night of the day which began in Judges 7:1. _get thee down_ Here and in Judges 7:11 a AGAINST _the camp_, to attack it; in Judges 7:10 _unto the camp_, to visit it....