Judges 7 Footnotes

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.