Judges 7 Footnotes

7:5 God chose those who lapped like a dog, not those who knelt to drink. Some have suggested that those who lapped maintained a state of alertness; whereas those who knelt had to use their cupped hands to bring up the water, thereby letting down their guard. Whatever the case, the story makes it clear that God wanted only a small band of soldiers in Gideon’s army so that when they were victorious none could say, “My own strength saved me” (v. 2). The victory would be perceived as the Lord’s doing alone.

7:10 The clause “if you are afraid to attack the camp” did not mean that God was ignorant of Gideon’s thoughts (see 2:22; 4:3). Scripture clearly declares that God knows all things, even the hearts of humans (1Kg 8:39; 2Ch 6:30; Ps 44:21; Lk 9:47; Ac 15:8; 1Jn 3:20). The statement was made for Gideon’s benefit. Knowing that Gideon was afraid, God had already given one of the Midianites a dream that would be the means to encourage him (Jdg 7:13-15).

7:21-22 The narrative relates that an experienced army of over one hundred twenty thousand men panicked at the sight of Gideon’s three hundred men. Several points make clear that this was no exaggeration. The Midianite soldier’s interpretation of the dream revealed that the enemy army was already experiencing a heightened level of fear (vv. 13-14). The attack took place “at the beginning of the middle watch” (midnight, v. 19), a time when the soldiers would have been asleep; upon being awakened abruptly they would have felt confused or vulnerable. Furthermore, the feeling of being surrounded in a life and death situation—not really knowing the size of the army that surrounded them—would account for much of the panic that ensued and for their lashing out in the dark at anybody who blocked their escape. The massive number of men in a confined area would have added to the level of panic. Finally, God was active in ensuring both the confused frenzy of the soldiers and their ultimate destruction.