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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 7:16-22

Here is, I. The alarm which Gideon gave to the hosts of Midian in the dead time of the night; for it was intended that those who had so long been a terror to Israel, and had so often frightened them, should themselves be routed and ruined purely by terror. 1. The attack here made was, in many circumstances, like that which Abraham made upon the army that had taken Lot captive. The number of men was much the same: Abraham had 318, Gideon 300; they both divided their forces, both made their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:16

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies ,.... One hundred in a company, partly to make the better figure, a show of an army, with a right and left wing, and partly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian in different parts: and he put a trumpet in every man's hand ; they that returned of the trumpeters having left their trumpets behind them, whereby there was a sufficient number for three hundred men; and these were put into their hands, that when they blew them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:17

And he said unto them, look on me, and do likewise ,.... Observe what I do, and do the same, in blowing a trumpet, breaking a pitcher, and shouting with the words expressed by him: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp ; where the sentinels stood, and the watch was set: it shall be, that as I do, so shall ye do ; and not before; a trumpet was not to be blown, nor a pitcher broken, nor a torch held out, nor a word spoken, till just they came to the outside of the camp:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:18

When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me ,.... He being at the head of one of the three companies, Judges 7:19 perhaps the middlemost, which might stand for the body of the army; and the other two be one to the right and the other to the left of him, and so could more easily discover his motions: then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp ; for it seems they were so disposed as to be around the camp, which when the trumpets were blown at once on every... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 7:16

He divided the three hundred men - Though the victory was to be from the Lord, yet he knew that he ought to use prudential means; and those which he employed on this occasion were the best calculated to answer the end. If he had not used these means, it is not likely that God would have delivered the Midianites into his hands. Sometimes, even in working a miracle, God will have natural means used: Go, dip thyself seven times in Jordan. Go, wash in the pool Siloam. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 7:18

The sword of the Lord , and of Gideon - The word חרב chereb , "sword," is not found in this verse, though it is necessarily implied, and is found in Judges 7:20 . But it is found in this place in the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, and in eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. The reading appears to be genuine. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 7:16

Gideon himself took the command of one company, and sent the other two under their respective captains to different sides of the camp Judges 7:18, Judges 7:21. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 7:15-16

Judges 7:15-16. When Gideon heard, he worshipped He praised God for this special encouragement. He divided the men into three companies To make a show of a vast army. Lamps within the pitchers The lights were put into the pitchers, partly to preserve them from the wind and weather, and partly that their approach to the Midianites not being discovered, they might surprise them with sudden flashes of light. But when every man had taken his post just on the outside of the camp, then they... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 7:17-18

Judges 7:17-18. He said to them, Look on me For though two hundred of his men were placed on other sides of the camp, yet they were so disposed, that some persons, set as watchmen, might see what was done, and give notice to the rest to follow the example. The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon He mentions his own name, together with God’s, not out of arrogance, as if he would equal himself with God, but from prudent policy, because his name was grown formidable to them, and so was likely... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 7:1-25

Deliverance under Gideon (7:1-8:35)God allowed Gideon only three hundred men to launch the attack against the Midianites, so that Israel might know that victory was not by military power but by God’s power (7:1-8). A Midianite soldier’s dream showed that an unnatural fear had come upon the Midianites. When he dreamt that a poor man’s loaf of barley overthrew a rich man’s tent, he thought that poverty-stricken Israel would overthrow Midian’s army. The Midianites could, in fact, have wiped out... read more

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