Jueces 7:14

14 Su compañero le respondió:
—Tu sueño solo puede significar una cosa: ¡Dios le ha dado a Gedeón, hijo de Joás, el israelita, la victoria sobre Madián y todos sus aliados!

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 Los ejércitos de Madián, de Amalec y del pueblo del oriente se habían establecido en el valle como un enjambre de langostas. Sus camellos eran como los granos de arena a la orilla del mar, ¡imposibles de contar!

13 Entonces Gedeón se acercó sigilosamente, precisamente cuando un hombre le contaba un sueño a su compañero.
—Tuve un sueño —decía el hombre— en el cual un pan de cebada venía rodando cuesta abajo hacia el campamento madianita; ¡entonces cuando golpeaba una carpa, la volteaba y la aplastaba!

14 Su compañero le respondió:
—Tu sueño solo puede significar una cosa: ¡Dios le ha dado a Gedeón, hijo de Joás, el israelita, la victoria sobre Madián y todos sus aliados!

15 Cuando Gedeón oyó el sueño y la interpretación, se inclinó en adoración ante el Señor
.
Luego regresó al campamento israelita y gritó: «¡Levántense, porque el Señor
les ha dado la victoria sobre las multitudes madianitas!».

16 Así que dividió a los trescientos hombres en tres grupos y le dio a cada hombre un cuerno de carnero y una vasija de barro con una antorcha adentro.