Judges 7:10-20

10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.
11 1And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp."2Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and 3all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, 4as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat."
14 And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp."
15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand."
16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with 5torches inside the jars.
17 And he said to them, "Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.
18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, 6'For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

Gideon Defeats Midian

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.
20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. 7And they cried out, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

Judges 7:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 7

In this chapter we have an account of the army under Gideon gathered out of several tribes, which from 32,000 were reduced to three hundred, and we are told by what means this was done, Jud 7:1-8 and how he was directed to go into the host of the Midianites, where he heard one of them telling his dream to his fellow, which greatly encouraged him to believe he should succeed, Jud 7:9-15 also we are told the form and manner in which he disposed of his little army to attack the Midianites, and the orders he gave them to observe, which had the desired effect, and issued in the total rout of that large body of people, Jud 7:16-22 and those that were not destroyed were pursued by persons gathered out of several tribes, and the passages of Jordan were taken by the Ephraimites, so that those that attempted their escape into their own country, there fell into their hands, Jud 7:23-25.

Cross References 7

  • 1. See ver. 13-15
  • 2. [1 Samuel 14:9, 10]
  • 3. See Judges 6:3
  • 4. Joshua 11:4
  • 5. Judges 15:4; Genesis 15:17
  • 6. [Exodus 14:13, 14; 2 Chronicles 20:17]
  • 7. [See ver. 18 above]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.