Judg. 7 Gideon with two and thirty thousand men encamps against the Midianites; they, by God’s command and token, are lessened to three hundred, Judg. 7:1–8. He is encouraged by a dream, and its interpretation, Judg.

Too many for me, i.e. for my purpose; which is, so to deliver Israel, that it may appear to be my own miraculous act, that so I may have all the glory of it, and they may be more strongly obliged to love and serve me.

Mount Gilead; not that famous Mount Gilead which was beyond Jordan; for it is apparent that both the camps of the Israelites and of the Midianites were on this side Jordan: but another Mount Gilead in the tribe of Manasseh; which might be so called, either for some resemblance it had with the other…

Unto the water; either that which ran from the well of Harod, mentioned Judg. 7:1, or some other brook. I will try them for thee; because thy proclamation hath not sufficiently tried them; for many who are fearful indeed will put on the face, and desire the opinion of being valiant persons; I will…

It is true, there may be natural reasons given why some did only lap of the water, when others bowed down to drink; from the temperance, or fortitude, or patience, or strength, or diligence of the one, and the intemperance, or cowardice, or impatience, or weakness, or slothfulness of the other; but…

Putting their hand to their mouth; taking up a little water in the palm of their hands to put into their mouths.

i.e. To his own home, as Num. 24:11.

And their trumpets, i.e. the trumpets belonging to the whole army, even to those who were gone away, which he retained for the use here following. See Judg. 7:16.

The same night; after he had dismissed all but the three hundred. That the Lord said unto him, in a dream or vision of the night.

If thou fear to go down, to wit, without some further assurance of thy success, I will condescend so far to thee, as to give thee another sign.

Afterward shall thine hands be strengthened; thou wilt be encouraged to proceed, notwithstanding the smallness of thy number, which may deter thee.

A cake of barley bread; a weak and contemptible thing, and in itself as unable to overthrow a tent as to remove a mountain; but being thrown by a Divine hand, bore down all before it; which fitly resembled Gideon’s case, which was mean and despicable, as himself saith, Judg.

As there are many examples of. significant dreams given by God to heathens, as Genesis 41:0; Dan. 2:0; Daniel 4:0, so some of them had the gift of interpreting dreams; which they sometimes did by study and art, and sometimes by Divine direction, as in this case.

Gideon understood the telling of the dream, though spoken in the Midianitish language; either because it was near akin to the Hebrew, being only a different dialect of it; or because the Israelites had now been accustomed to the Midianites’ company and discourse for seven years.

Into three companies; to make a show of a vast army encompassing them. Lamps, or, torches, made of such materials as would quickly take fire, and keep it for some time.

For though two hundred of his men were placed on other sides of the camp; yet they were so disposed, that some person or persons, set as watchmen, might see what was done, and give notice to the rest to follow the example.

He mentions his own name, together with God’s, not out of vain ostentation or arrogance, as if he would equal himself with God; for he mentions God in the first and chief place, and himself only as his minister; but from prudent policy, because his name was grown formidable to them, and so was…

Of the middle watch, i.e. of the second watch; for though afterwards the night was divided into four watches by the Romans, Matt. 14:25, yet in more ancient times, and in the eastern parts, it was divided into three.

Held the lamps and the trumpets, that they might be thought to be a mighty host, having as many troops or companies as there were trumpets and lights.

Every man in his place; as if they had only been torchbearers to the several companies.

They slew one another, either because they suspected treachery, and so fell upon those they first met with; which they might more easily do, because they consisted of several nations, as may be gathered from Judg.

Take before them the waters unto Beth-barah, i.e. the passes over those waters to which they are like to come. And Jordan; the fords of Jordan, which river they must pass over into their own country.

For Gideon in the pursuit had passed over Jordan, as we read, Judg. 8:4, which, though mentioned after this, may seem to have been done before it, such transpositions being frequent in sacred story. Or, on this side Jordan, for the Hebrew word is indifferent to both sides: see Gen. 1:10.