So Gideon, and the one hundred men that were with him
Which was one of the three companies his army was divided into, and which company he had the command of particularly:
came unto the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middle
watch;
the second watch, for the night was divided into three watches; for though in later times there were four watches, among the Romans {h}, and which the Jews received from them; hence in the New Testament we read of the fourth watch; yet in earlier times, with the Jews and other eastern nations, there were but three watches, as affirmed by Jarchi and Kimchi on the place: and very wisely did Gideon fix on this watch for the time of his coming; for had he come at the first watch, many as yet might not have been in bed, or at least not fallen asleep; and had he come in the third watch, many might have been awake out of their sleep, and others up; but he took this time, a little after midnight, in the dead of the night, when the whole army was fast asleep:
and they had but newly set the watch;
the first watch were just gone off, and the second were placed in their room; but since such an observation seems in a good measure unnecessary, for as Gideon came in the beginning of the watch it must in course be newly set; rather the words may be rendered, "in raising they raised up the watch" F9; that is, Gideon and his men did it by their approach; and they might call to them on purpose to give the alarm to the army, who upon that would at once hear the sound of the trumpets, and the clattering of the pitchers, and see the torches burning, to their great surprise:
and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their
hands;
as soon as they came up to the watch and had raised them; this did Gideon and his hundred men.