Jueces 7:14

14 Y su compañero respondió, y dijo: Esto no es otra cosa sino la espada de Gedeón hijo de Joás, varón de Israel; Dios ha entregado en sus manos a los madianitas con todo el campamento

Jueces 7:14 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 7:14

And his fellow answered and said
As the dream was no doubt from God, so the interpretation of it was; it was he that put into the mind of the soldier's comrade to whom he told it to interpret it as follows; or otherwise in all likelihood he would never have thought of it:

this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man
of Israel;
that is, this signifies nothing else, and a fit emblem it was of him and his little army. A cake is but a small thing, and, let it come tumbling as it will, can have no force or strength in it equal to overturn a tent; and a cake of barley is mean and contemptible; and a cake baked under ashes, or on coals, is what is soon and hastily done, and fitly represented the smallness and weakness of Gideon's army, their meanness and contemptibleness; the Israelites being, as Josephus ^F5 represents the soldier saying, the vilest of all the people of Asia; and those that were with Gideon were suddenly and hastily got together, raw and undisciplined, and very unfit to engage the veteran troops of the united forces of Midian, Amalek, and Arabia. It appears from hence that Gideon's name was well known in the camp of Midian, what was his descent, and his character as a valiant man, which is meant by

a man of Israel;
namely, a courageous mighty man, and the very name of him might strike with terror:

for into his hands hath God delivered Midian and all his host;
which the man concluded from this dream, and the interpretation of it suggested to him from God, and impressed upon his mind; which he speaks of with the greatest assurance and confidence, which he was inspired to do, for the strengthening of Gideon, and the encouragement of him to come down with his army, and fall on the host of Midian.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect. 4.)

Jueces 7:14 In-Context

12 Y Madián, Amalec, y todos los hijos del oriente, estaban tendidos en el valle como langostas en muchedumbre, y sus camellos eran sin contar, como la arena que está a la ribera del mar en multitud

13 Y cuando llegó Gedeón, he aquí que un hombre estaba contando a su compañero un sueño, diciendo: He aquí yo soñé un sueño: que veía un pan de cebada que rodaba hasta el campamento de Madián, y llegaba a las tiendas, y las hirió de tal manera que cayeron, y las trastornaba de arriba abajo, y las tiendas cayeron

14 Y su compañero respondió, y dijo: Esto no es otra cosa sino la espada de Gedeón hijo de Joás, varón de Israel; Dios ha entregado en sus manos a los madianitas con todo el campamento

15 Y cuando Gedeón oyó la historia del sueño y su interpretación, adoró; y vuelto al campamento de Israel, dijo: Levantaos, que el SEÑOR ha entregado el campamento de Madián en vuestras manos

16 Y repartiendo los trescientos hombres en tres escuadrones, le dio a cada uno de ellos un shofar en sus manos, y cántaros vacíos con teas ardiendo dentro de los cántaros