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. Ver. 1. _Beside the well of Harod._] That is, Of terror; _see 1 Samu... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 2. _Are too many._] They thought themselves too few, and therefore feared. God's thoughts... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 3. _Let him depart._] Lest the rest be discouraged,... [ Continue Reading ]
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, t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 5. _That lappeth of the water, &c._] _Iudicium strenui... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 6. _Were three hundred men._] _Methe mispar,_ a poor few. Many are called, but few are chosen. “ _Rari quippe boni, numer... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 7. _By the three hundred men._] "They shall be holpen with a little help." Dan 11:34 And why with a littl... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 8. _And their trumpets._] Trumpets of rams' horns, saith Josephus after the S... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _Get thee down unto the host._] This was a hard task, but he trusted in God, and devoured the difficulty, despised the danger. Eπου τω Yεω, was the o... [ Continue Reading ]
But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: Ver. 10. _Go thou with Phurah thy servant._] _Optimum solatium, sodalitium._ Two is better than one. Christ sent out the seventy disciples by two and two. And himself took Peter, James, and John with him into the garden,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _And thou shalt hear._] For further confirmation of thy faith. So low stoopeth t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 12. _Like grasshoppers._] See Judges 6:5. So were the Persians that came against Gr... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _Behold,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 14. _This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon._] God spake through this fellow, as through a trunk, for Gid... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 15. _The dream, and the interpretation thereof._] Heb., The bre... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 16. A trumpet in every man's hand.] As if there had been so many troops as were trumpets. By a like stratagem, Pompey overcame Mithridates... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _Look on me, and do likewise._] He was sure of the victory, and yet giveth military precepts, and useth the means.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon._] _Domino et Gideoni; _ this was the word. _a_ Against Jehovah there was no fighti... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 19. _In the beginning of the middle watch._] He to... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 20. _Blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers._] By the sound of trumpets an... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled._ Ver. 21. _And they stood every man in his place._] As if they had been trumpeters and torch bearers to a formidable army at the heels of them. _ And all the host ran, and cried, and fled._] Dau... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Bethshittah in Zererath, [and] to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. Ver. 22. And the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow.] For being sm... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 23. _And the men of Israel gathered themselves together._] Various of those doubtless that, as white livered soldiers, had deserted the army; and oth... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Ver. 24. _And Gideon sent messengers... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 25. _Oreb and Zeeb._] Oreb signifieth a raven. Zeeb, a... [ Continue Reading ]