Judges 7:15-23

The Lamps and the Pitchers Judges 7:15-23

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 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 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 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 So Gideon, and the three 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 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 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 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.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Mannasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

9.

Why did Gideon divide his force? Judges 7:16

It was military strategy. It would be very unusual for three hundred men to have three hundred trumpets and three hundred torches. Such large numbers of this kind of equipment would indicate a much larger force. The great cry, the divided force, completely surrounding the enemy, and the many lights confused the Midianites. They believed that they were surrounded. In their confusion, they fled before a much smaller number of soldiers. They were so surprised and bewildered that they attacked each other thinking they were smiting the Israelites. God granted Israel a complete victory.

10.

Where were the trumpets and pitchers obtained? Judges 7:16

These were normal for an army of 10,000. These were the normal supplies for the commissary or kitchen crew of the army. No doubt, these were humble, earthen pitchers used for holding liquids of various natures. The trumpets would have been in the hands of those who signaled the marching of the army. The noise, the lights, and the divided attack routed the Midianites.

11.

What was the meaning of Gideon's battle cry? Judges 7:18

The word for sword does not appear in this verse, but it is in Judges 7:14 and it appears again in Judges 7:20. The main idea of the cry was that the victory would be to the glory of God. In addition, Gideon would gain the respect of the men of Israel and strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. Gideon was God's inspired leader and deliverer of the people of Israel. Only by God's power was Gideon able to win a war against the much larger force of the Midianites. God was working a mighty deliverance by a man who was following God's guidance. It was most appropriate for the soldiers to adopt this battle cry.

12.

How were the articles used? Judges 7:20

The lights were kept in the pitchers until they were exposed by breaking the pitchers. The trumpets were blown to indicate how many companies of soldiers were in the camp, In addition, the noise would be tremendous, striking terror into the hearts of the opposing soldiers, and at the same time, encouraging the army of Gideon.

13.

What additional factor affected the result of the battle? Judges 7:22

In the midst of the confusion, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the children of the East attacked one another. As the verse says, And the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow. The Israelites had lights, but the enemies were fighting in darkness. The enemy was expecting many more soldiers than those bearing the lights and the trumpets and thought surely some of their own fellows were Israelites. As a result the victory was completely Israel'S.

14.

What tribes rallied to Gideon's aid? Judges 7:23

The men of Israel out of the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh joined in the pursuit of the Midianites. Gideon also called men from the tribe of Ephraim to take the fords of the Jordan so that the Midianites would not be able to get across into the Transjordan area, from which they had come. Issachar was directly involved in the war since the battle was fought in her territory, and it may be presumed that they were also rallying to assist since there is no word to the contrary. Their tribes were in the northern part of Israel, and there is no mention of the tribes beyond the Jordan or the southern tribes coming to fight in the battle.