John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:6
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth ,.... That is, that took up water in the hollow of their hands, which they lifted up to their mouths, and so lapped it, as the Egyptians about the Nile are said F4 Achilles Tatius, l. 4. to do, who drank not out of pots and cups, but used their hands to drink with: were three hundred men ; only such a number out of 10,000: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water; even 9,700; and... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:5
So he brought them down to the water ,.... His whole army of 10,000 men: and the Lord said unto Gideon, everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shall thou set by himself ; this has led some, as particularly Grotius, to think of the Egyptian dogs; of whom Aelianus relates F2 Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 4. , that they do not drink at once freely, and to satiety, being afraid of the crocodiles in the river; but run about the bank, and by stealth snatch a... read more