Judges 7.1-25 tells us the story of the army under Gideon gathered out of several tribes. The army of 32,000 is reduced to 300. This was done because he did not want Israel to think they they won by their own power. So, those who were fearful could depart, leaving 22,000. That was still too many. Then he gives them another instruction, and that brought the number down to 300. Yehovah then gives the instruction on how to attack the Midianites, resulting in victory.
v 1…Then Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, and all the people who with him rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod (fear, astonishment); and the camp of MIdian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh (teacher) in the valley (of Jezreel).
v 2…And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are to many for me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me (or “glory over me”).’
v 3…Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained (they feared man rather than God).
v 4…Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water (the water of the word will test us to see if we obey or not), and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you, but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you, he shall not go.”
v 5…So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink (the water is the word, and the mouth alludes to testimony; just because someone kneeled to the water doesn’t mean their hearts were “bowed” to obey it).”
v 6…Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth (their testimony- they were ready if something happened, looking around and watchful, not bowing with their eyes to the water), was 3000 men, but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.
v 7…And the Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and I will give the Midianites into your hands; so let the other people go, each man to his home (not all are called to a public ministry. The number 300 is an interesting number. It is the numerical value of the letter “Shin” in Hebrew and it is the one letter God uses as his “signature” so to speak. This number is used throughout the Scriptures-Gen 5.22; Gen 6.15, 45.22; Judges 15.4; 1 Chr 11.11; Mark 14.4-5. Jerusalem sits within the Shin made by the Hinnom, Tyropean and KIdron valley, so God put his name there-Deut 12.11, 16.2; 1 Kings 8.29; 2 Chr 6.6, 7.16; Hos 2.11. This letter can be seen on a Mezuzah. The letter means, teeth, consume or to destroy. We recommend a study of this letter, and 300 is significant in this passage).”
v 8…So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets (alludes to testimony) into their hands (work, service). And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
v 9…Now the same night (sometimes God reveals his will at night) it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands.
v 10…But if you are afraid to go down (at first), go with Purah (fruitful branch) your servant (in a private manner and less likely to be seen; he is a type of the Holy Spirit who is called alongside to help) down to the camp,
v 11…and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened (encouraged) in what he hears) that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp.
v 12…Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts, and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore (sand of the seashore alludes to the physical, earthly, natural. It is the opposite of the idiom “stars of heaven” which speaks of the spiritual, heavenly).
v 13…When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend, and he said, “A loaf of barley bread (Gideon as a humble nobody) was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came into the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”
v 14…And his friend answered and said, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon (cutter down) the son of Joash (given by Yehovah), a man of Israel (prince of God); God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.
v 15…And it came about when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation (the breaking of the seal of it), that he bowed in worship (praised God for the encouragement). He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.”
v 16…And he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets (testimony) and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches (“lapidim” and a term for the Messiah-Judges 4.4; Gen 15.17) inside the pitchers (indwelt by the Messiah in earthenware vessels and a type of the believer).
v 17…And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. And behold when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do (we are to follow Messiah who was Torah observant-1 Cor 11.1-2)
v 18…When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpet all around the camp (alluding to preaching the word of God), and say, ‘For the Lord (“L’Yehovah” and the term for the goat on Yom Kippur) and for Gideon.’ “
v 19…So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch (10 pm to 2 am) when they had just posted the watch (and the others were asleep); and they blew the trumpet (testimony of the word) and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands (we must be broken for God to use us and let our light shine).
v 20…When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches (which they took out of the pitchers once they broke) in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon (the sword was Yehovah’s, and sent by Yehovah into the hand of Gideon for judgement)!”
v 21…And each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.
v 22…And when they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah (house of acacia; incorruptible) toward Zererah (oppression), as far as the edge of Abel-meholah (meadow of dancing), by Tabbath (goodness).
v 23…And the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
v 24…And GIdeon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take the waters before them (all the fords and passages across the Jordan) before them, as far as Beth-bara (John 1.28) and the Jordan (from north to south).
v 25…And they captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb (raven) and Zeeb (“zeev” or wolf) and they killed Oreb at the rock Oreb (named after him; Messiah is a rock of offense to those who stumble-1 Pet 2.8), and they killed Zeeb at the winepress (of God’s wrath-Rev 19.11-20; Isa 63.1-6) of Zeeb (named after him), while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan (they were on the east side; Gideon will cross over to there in 8.4).
Judges 8.1-35 begins with the Ephraimites complaining about not being sent to fight the MIdianites; how he pursued the Midianites; his chastisement of Succoth and Penuel for not relieving his men with food; how he killed two Midianite kings; Gideon’s refusal to take the government of Israel; how he asked for the earrings of the Midianites and made a copy of the ephod worn by the high priest for himself for religious reasons, intending it to be an act of worship to God, but later it was made into an idol and lowered the respect for the Aaronic priesthood; the people were at peace for forty years; but after his death Israel fell into idolatry aain and were ungrateful to Gideon’s family.
v 1…Then the men of Ephraim (who were not included in the order to assemble troops) said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went up to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him (what Midian means) vigorously.
v 2…But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you (they were called to help in 7.24 and they captured Oreb and Zeeb and Gideon is saying that was greater than his defeat of their whole army)? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer (they had the gleanings of this battle and that was seen as more valuable than the victory of the 300; in other words, what Gideon started Ephraim finished)?
v 3…God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb< into your hands, and what was I able to do in comparison to you?” Then the anger toward him subsided when he said that (spiritually, we may be called on after a battle has begun and we may be a part of the end of the battle, but we should not complain about how God uses us, and be content with our role).
v 4…Then Gideon and the 300 (they did not lose a man in the battle) men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over (to the east side), weary yet pursuing.
v 5…And he said to the men of Succoth (where Jacob settled in Gen 33.17), “Please give me loaves of bread for the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah (sacrifice) and Zalmunna (shadow, image, idol forbidden) the kings of Midian.”
v 6…And the leaders of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should five bread to your army (they could not see that Gideon’s little army could win and they feared that these kings could come back and retaliate if they helped him)?’
v 7…And Gideon said, “All right, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers (scourge them with thorns and briers; thorns and briers are types of the curse and dead works).”
v 8…And he went up from there to Penuel (“face of God” where Jacob wrestled with the angel-Gen 32.20) and he spoke to them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered him (there was nothing of God in that place now).
v 9…So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower (which stood in their city and in which the people had placed their faith).”
v 10…Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor (foundation; deep floor) and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.
v 11…And Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah (barking) and Jogbehah (high) and attacked the camp, when the camp was unsuspecting (thought they were secure having crossed the Jordan).
v 12…When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, they pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
v 13…Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres (a mount where the Amorites were not expelled; or this means “ascent of the sun” or before the sun was up).
v 14…And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.
v 15…And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna (he spared them so far to show them), concerning whom you taunted me, saying, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?”
v 16…And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined (scourged) the men of Succoth with them.
v 17…And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city (who tried to resist him).
v 18…Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor (he wanted a description of them)?” And they said, “They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king (spiritually alluding to how we need to be like Yeshua the son of a king; our standing).”
v 19…And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
v 20…So he said to Jether his first born, “Rise and kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth (and not experienced in killing).
v 21… Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength (their execution was for the strong, not a weak youth).” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels necks (moon-shaped ornaments of their gods).
v 22…Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us (as a king), both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
v 23…But =Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you (resisting the temptation), nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you (Gideon knew who was the true king and who won the battle).”
v 24…Yet Gideon said to them, “I would make request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil.” For they had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites (who wore ornaments).”
v 25…And they said, “We will surely give them.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.
v 26…And the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1700 skekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels.
v 27…And Gideon made it into an ephod (may be a copy of the one worn by the high priest-Exo 28) and placed it in his city, Ophrah (intending it as an act of worship to God on his part and good intentions, so that the people would remember this great victory that God gave, backing up his statement that Yehovah alone was to be honored), and Israel played the harlot with it there (but the fame of it spread and instead of going to Shiloh, they made it into some object of worship, perverting his act of faith and good intentions into superstition), so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household (for he weakened the honor and respect the people should have had for the Aaronic priesthood).
v 28…So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads any more (they were overthrown). And the land was undisturbed for forty years (testing) in the days of Gideon.
v 29…Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.
v 30…Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives (not a part of the original Torah instructions, but was a custom of the times).
v 31…And his concubine (a secondary wife) who was in Shechem (shoulder) also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech (my father is king).
v 32…And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of bis father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abriezrites.
v 33…Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals (Baalim) and made Baal-berith (“lord of the covenant”, considering that idol as the one who they had made a covenant with; a case of replacement theology).
v 34…Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God (because they did not keep his commandments; see the article called, “What Does ‘To Forget The Lord’ Mean” on this website for more information on what this means), who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
v 35…nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel (they showed ingratitude and unbelief).
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