New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996

Judges 7

1 Early in the morning Jerub-Baal and all of his men camped at the spring of Harod. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. The camp of Midian was north of Gideon's camp. It was in the valley near the hill of Moreh. Reference

Parallel theme

Judges 6:32 Genesis 12:6 Ecclesiastes 9:10

📍 Locations

📍 Harod 📍 Moreh 2

2 The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "I want to hand Midian over to you. But you have too many men for me to do that. I do not want Israel to brag that their own strength has saved them. Reference

Parallel theme

Deuteronomy 8:17 2 Corinthians 4:7 Isaiah 10:13 Romans 11:18 Ephesians 2:9 Ezekiel 28:17

References Lord

Jeremiah 9:23 Zechariah 4:6 Deuteronomy 32:27

Salvation

Zechariah 12:7

3 So here is what I want you to announce to your men. Tell them, 'Those who tremble with fear can turn back. They can leave Mount Gilead.' " So 22,000 men left. But 10,000 remained. Reference

Parallel theme

Deuteronomy 20:8 Revelation 17:14

📍 Mount Gilead

4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again. He said, "There are still too many men. So take them down to the water. I will sort them out for you there. If I say, 'This one will go with you,' he will go. But if I say, 'That one will not go with you,' he will not go." Reference

Parallel theme

Psalm 33:16 Job 23:10

References Lord

1 Samuel 16:7 1 Samuel 14:6

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord spoke to him. He said, "Some men will drink the way dogs do. They will lap up the water with their tongues. Separate them from those who get down on their knees to drink."

6 Three hundred men lapped up the water. They brought it up to their mouths with their hands. All of the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "With the help of the 300 men who lapped up the water I will save you. I will hand the Midianites over to you. Let all of the other men go home." Reference

Salvation

1 Samuel 14:6

8 So Gideon sent the rest of the men of Israel to their tents. But he kept the 300 men. They took over the supplies and trumpets the others had left. The Midianites had set up their camp in the valley below where Gideon was.

9 During that night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, "Get up. Go down against the camp. I am going to hand it over to you. Reference

References Lord

Judges 3:28

10 But what if you are afraid to attack? Then go down to the camp with your servant Purah. People

Purah

11 Listen to what they are saying. After that, you will not be afraid to attack the camp." So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the camp. Reference

Parallel theme

Ephesians 6:10 Exodus 13:18 Genesis 24:14 1 Samuel 23:16 Ezra 6:22 Philippians 4:13

12 The Midianites had settled in the valley. So had the Amalekites and all of the other tribes from the east. There were so many of them that they looked like huge numbers of locusts. Like the grains of sand on the seashore, their camels couldn't be counted. Reference

Parallel theme

Judges 6:5 Judges 8:10 Joshua 11:4 Judges 6:3 Psalm 3:1 Psalm 33:16

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend about his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came rolling into the camp of Midian. It hit a tent with great force. The tent turned over and fell down flat."

14 His friend replied, "That can only be the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash. Gideon is from Israel. God has handed the Midianites over to him. He has given him the whole camp." Reference

Parallel theme

Joshua 2:9

15 Gideon heard the man explain what the dream meant. Then Gideon worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel. He called out, "Get up! The Lord has handed the Midianites over to you." Reference

Parallel theme

Genesis 40:8 Genesis 41:11

References Lord

Judges 4:14

Worship

Genesis 24:48

16 Gideon separated the 300 men into three companies. He put a trumpet and an empty jar into the hands of each man. And he put a torch inside each jar. Reference

Parallel theme

2 Corinthians 4:7

17 "Watch me," he told them. "Do what I do. I'll go to the edge of the enemy camp. Then do exactly as I do. Reference

Parallel theme

1 Corinthians 11:1 Hebrews 13:7 Matthew 16:24 1 Peter 5:3 Judges 9:48

18 I and everyone who is with me will blow our trumpets. Then blow your trumpets from your positions all around the camp. And shout the battle cry, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!' "

19 Gideon and the 100 men who were with him reached the edge of the enemy camp. It was about ten o'clock at night. It was just after the guard had been changed. Gideon and his men blew their trumpets. They broke the jars that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew their trumpets. They smashed their jars. They held their torches in their left hands. They held in their right hands the trumpets they were going to blow. Then they shouted the battle cry, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" Reference

Parallel theme

1 Corinthians 15:52 2 Corinthians 4:7

References Lord

Isaiah 27:13

21 Each man stayed in his position around the camp. But all of the Midianites ran away in fear. They were crying out as they ran. Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 28:1

22 When the 300 trumpets were blown, the Lord caused all of the men in the enemy camp to start fighting each other. They attacked each other with their swords. The army ran away to Beth Shittah toward Zererah. They ran all the way to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Reference

Parallel theme

1 Kings 4:12 Joshua 6:20 1 Kings 19:16 2 Chronicles 20:23 Isaiah 19:2 Isaiah 9:4 Psalm 83:9 Joshua 6:4

References Lord

Joshua 6:16

📍 Locations

📍 Abel-meholah 📍 Beth-shittah 📍 Tabbath 📍 Zererah

23 The men of Israel from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher and all of Manasseh were called out. They chased the Midianites. Reference

Parallel theme

Judges 6:35

24 Gideon sent messengers through the entire hill country of Ephraim. They said, "Come on down against the Midianites. Take control of the waters of the Jordan River before they get there. Do it all the way to Beth Barah." So all of the men of Ephraim were called out. They took control of the waters of the Jordan all the way to Beth Barah. 📍 Beth-barah

25 They also captured Oreb and Zeeb. Those men were two of the Midianite leaders. The men of Ephraim killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon. He was by the Jordan River. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 10:26

People

Oreb Zeeb

Chapter Summary

Judges 7 finds Gideon in victorious formation after the battle against the Midianites. Israel’s army has been drastically reduced, and the victory achieved by such a small force makes the reader wonder what else God will do through such a remnant. Gideon and his few men have fought a pitched battle and defeated a much larger and more powerful enemy force. The text reveals that Gideon and his reduced army of 300 men attacked the much larger Midianite camp at night.

Gideon and his army are encamped beside the well of Harod, while the Midianite forces are gathered in the valley beneath the hill of Moreh. God instructs Gideon to reduce the size of his army, saying that Israel should not have victory due to their numbers, but rather because it is by His will (Judges 7:2). Gideon reduces his army by twenty-two thousand men, twenty thousand of whom have returned to their homes, leaving ten thousand behind.

The ten thousand men are still too many according to God, and He instructs Gideon to bring them down to the well and observe their behavior as they drink. Many of the soldiers kneel to drink while others use their hands to cup water to their mouths while keeping their eyes on Gideon. God instructs Gideon to choose three hundred men from the three hundred who have kept their eyes on Gideon and have been watching his every move. These men shall be the ones to lead Israel into battle and deliver them from the Midianites.

The Israelite forces are greatly outnumbered as they face the Amalekites, the Midianites, and the rest of the eastern confederation. The enemies are encamped in the valley, and their camels are said to number like the sand of the seashore. Gideon is faced with insurmountable odds and is likely feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand. God knows the heart of Gideon and is aware of his fears, so he grants Gideon one last sign before battle is joined.

Gideon is ordered to go down to the enemy camp with his servant Purah and eavesdrop on the conversation of the soldiers. They speak of a dream in which a loaf of barley bread tumbles into the midst of the Midianite camp and strikes one of the tents, causing it to fall backwards and be overturned on its face. The dreamer interprets it to mean that Gideon, the son of Joash, will be victorious over the Midianite kings. Gideon realizes that God has granted him victory and rejoices, informing his men that the Lord has placed the enemy in their hands. Gideon divides his three hundred men into three companies and gives each soldier a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a lighted lamp inside. The Israelites are vastly outnumbered and outgunned, and the weapons seem odd for an army that is about to fight a pitched battle.

Gideon instructs his men to follow his orders and join the enemy at the most opportune moment. This is the beginning of the middle watch in the night, and the Midianites are likely to be sleeping or enjoying their evening rest when the Israelites attack (Judges 7:16). Gideon and his men surround the enemy at the crest of the hill, and the signal is given. The enemy is faced with the sound of trumpets being blown, the sound of pitchers breaking across the floor, and the sight of lights flickering and dancing in the darkness. The enemy assumes that they are being attacked by a vastly larger force and turns tail and runs. The Lord causes the enemy to deal with each other with their swords, and the Israelites pursue them to Beth-shittah, Zererath, and Abel-meholah.

The three hundred men are joined by reinforcements from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh. Gideon goes to the hill country of Ephraim and calls out to the men to help block the enemy’s retreat at the Jordan, which they do. The Ephraimites intercept two of the Midianite kings, Oreb and Zeeb, killing them at the rock of Oreb and the winepress of Zeeb, respectively. Their heads are delivered to Gideon over at the Jordan.

Judges 7 emphasizes God’s purpose in diminishing the size of Israel’s army from tens of thousands to three hundred men. God would have the Israelites understand that their victories are not due to their military might or their right to receive the title of heroes of the faith, but rather due to their obedience to God’s commands. Gideon needed the encouragement and he received the sign from God when he overheard the conversation in the enemy camp. God knew the fears of Gideon and He was ready to patiently assist Gideon to grow in faith and trust in Him.

Judges 7 displays the ability of God to take the mundane and make it into something extraordinary. The three hundred men of Israel who were carrying trumpets, pitchers, and torches were an odd sight to behold. The sudden appearance of the Israelites with such odd implements of warfare led the vastly larger enemy force to believe that they were being attacked from all sides. The entire campaign against the Midianites continued the tradition of Israel’s battles set out in the previous chapters.

Israel’s problems began with her failure to obey the Lord and instead had disobeyed Him, and so God delivered them up into the hands of the Midianites and caused them to be oppressed for seven years (Judges 6:1). God raised up Gideon to judge the Midianites and bring them back into line and into restoration as God’s covenant people under his leadership. The victory serves as a reminder to the children of Israel that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is indeed the Almighty One and that without His permission, no one can even prosper in this life. The chapter ends with Israel in hot pursuit of the fleeing Midianites.