God Reduces Gideon's Army
Study note
Gideon started with thirty-two thousand soldiers, but God said there were too many. If Israel won with so many men, they would boast that they had saved themselves. First, God sent home everyone who was afraid, reducing the army to ten thousand. Then God used a water-drinking test at a spring: those who lapped water from their hands while staying alert were chosen, while those who knelt down were sent home. Only three hundred men remained. This extreme reduction made it clear that the coming victory would be entirely God's doing.
1 Gideon, who was also called Jerubbaal, got up early with all his soldiers and camped near the spring of Harod. The Midianite army was camped north of them, down in the valley by the hill of Moreh. Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 The Lord told Gideon, "Your army is too big. If I let all of you fight and win, the Israelites will brag that they won the battle by their own power." And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 "So make this announcement to your troops: 'If anyone is scared or nervous, you may leave right now and go home.'" Twenty-two thousand men turned around and left. Only ten thousand stayed. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 But the Lord told Gideon, "That is still too many soldiers. Bring them to the water, and I will sort them out for you there. When I tell you someone should go with you, he goes. When I tell you someone should not go, he stays behind." And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 Gideon brought the men down to the water. The Lord instructed him, "Put the men who lap water with their tongues like dogs in one group. Put those who get down on their knees to drink in another group." So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 Only three hundred men scooped water up with their hands and lapped it. All the rest dropped to their knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 The Lord told Gideon, "I will use these three hundred men who lapped the water to save you and hand Midian over to you. Send everyone else home." And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelite army home, keeping only the three hundred. They took the food supplies and trumpets from the departing soldiers. The Midianite camp was spread out in the valley below. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
Gideon Spies on the Midianite Camp
Study note
God told Gideon to go down to the enemy camp that night. If he was afraid, he could take his servant Purah with him. When they arrived, they overheard a Midianite soldier telling a dream about a barley loaf tumbling into camp and flattening a tent. His companion immediately interpreted it as a sign that Gideon would defeat them. The Midianites and their allies filled the valley like a swarm of locusts, with camels as countless as sand on the seashore. This spy mission gave Gideon the confidence he needed.
9 That night the Lord told Gideon, "Get ready and go attack the camp. I am giving it to you." And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 "But if you are nervous about attacking, take your servant Purah with you and sneak down to the camp first." But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
11 "Listen to what the enemy soldiers are talking about, and it will give you the courage to attack." So Gideon and Purah crept down to the outer edge of the enemy camp. And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 The Midianites, Amalekites, and all the eastern raiders filled the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were beyond counting, like sand on a beach. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 When Gideon got close enough to listen, he overheard a soldier describing a dream to his friend. The soldier said, "I dreamed a round loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp. It slammed into a tent and hit it so hard that the tent flipped upside down and collapsed flat." And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 His friend answered, "That can only mean one thing: the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite! God is handing over Midian and this whole army to him." And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
The Night Attack with Trumpets and Torches
Study note
Gideon divided his three hundred men into three groups of one hundred. Each man carried a trumpet, an empty clay jar, and a torch hidden inside the jar. At Gideon's signal, they blew the trumpets, smashed the jars to reveal the torches, and shouted, 'A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!' The sudden noise, lights, and shouting from all sides made the Midianites panic in the darkness. In their confusion, the Midianite soldiers began fighting each other, and the entire army fled.
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its meaning, he dropped to his knees and worshipped God. Then he hurried back to the Israelite camp and announced, "On your feet! The Lord is handing the Midianite camp over to you!" And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 He split his three hundred soldiers into three groups. He handed each man a trumpet and an empty clay jar with a lit torch hidden inside. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 He gave them simple instructions: "Keep your eyes on me and copy exactly what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do the same thing I do." And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 "When my group blows our trumpets, you all blow yours too from your spots around the camp. Then shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!'" When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
19 Gideon and his group of one hundred men reached the outskirts of the Midianite camp right after midnight, just as the new guard shift started. They blasted their trumpets and smashed the clay jars they were carrying. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 All three groups blew their trumpets and broke their jars at the same moment. Holding the blazing torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right, they shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
21 Each Israelite soldier held his spot around the camp. Inside, the whole Midianite army panicked, screamed, and ran to get away. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 The three hundred trumpets blared. The Lord confused the Midianites. They fought each other in the camp. Those who lived ran to Beth-shittah near Zererah. They fled on to Abel-meholah near Tabbath. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.
The Pursuit of the Midianites
Study note
As the Midianites fled, Gideon called on the men of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to join the pursuit. He also sent messengers to Ephraim asking them to seize the crossing points of the Jordan River. The men of Ephraim captured two Midianite princes named Oreb and Zeeb, killing them and bringing their heads to Gideon. The names mean 'raven' and 'wolf,' and the places where they died were named after them.
23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh were called up. They joined in chasing the Midianites as they ran away. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
24 Gideon also sent runners throughout Ephraim's hill country with the message, "Come down and cut off the Midianites! Block the Jordan River crossings all the way to Beth-barah!" So the men of Ephraim came and took control of all the river crossings. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.
25 They also captured two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. They executed Oreb at a place now called the Rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at a spot called the Winepress of Zeeb. They continued pursuing the Midianites and brought the severed heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.