Judges 7:14 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 7:9-15

Gideon's army being diminished as we have found it was, he must either fight by faith or not at all; God therefore here provides recruits for his faith, instead of recruits for his forces. I. He furnishes him with a good foundation to build his faith upon. Nothing but a word from God will be a footing for faith. He has this as full and express as he can desire, Jdg. 7:9. 1. A word of command to warrant the action, which otherwise seemed rash and indiscreet, and unbecoming a wise general:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:14

And his fellow answered and said ,.... As the dream was no doubt from God, so the interpretation of it was; it was he that put into the mind of the soldier's comrade to whom he told it to interpret it as follows; or otherwise in all likelihood he would never have thought of it: this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel ; that is, this signifies nothing else, and a fit emblem it was of him and his little army. A cake is but a small thing, and, let it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 7:14

Into his hand hath God delivered Midian - This is a full proof that God had inspired both the dream and its interpretation. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 7:14

This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon - The word rendered tumbled in Judges 7:13, is rather descriptive of a sword brandished (compare Genesis 3:24). Hence, the interpretation “the sword of Gideon.” Hearing this dream and the interpretation would convince Gideon that he was indeed under the guidance of God, and so assure him of God’s aid; and secondly, it would show him that a panic had already fallen npon the mind of the enemy. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 7:13-14

Judges 7:13-14. And lo, a cake tumbled into the host of Midian 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, it bore down all before it. His fellow answered, &c. As there are many examples of significant dreams, given by God to heathen, so some of them had the gift of interpreting dreams; which they sometimes did by divine direction, as in this case. For it is evident that God influenced the mind... 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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 7:14

God = ha-'Elohim here (= the God), because in connection with Midianites, His creatures. Not Jehovah, App-4 . read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 7:12-14

God’s provision of encouragement 7:12-14Gideon and his servant heard two enemy soldiers conversing on the outskirts of the Midianite camp. One soldier was relating a dream he had had to his friend. The writer probably included the reference to the apparently innumerable Midianite enemy (Judges 7:12) to emphasize the greatness of the victory God gave His people."Dreams were considered of great importance in ancient times, especially if the dreamer was a man of rank or authority, for the gods... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 7:1-25

The Rout of Midian1-7. Gideon’s choice of his Followers.1. The sites here mentioned are doubtful. Moreh] said to be near Shechem (Genesis 12:6; Deuteronomy 11:30). After the battle Gideon crosses the Jordan by the fords one would take if travelling from Shechem eastwards. 3. Gilead] is E. of the Jordan: some other locality must be meant. For the return of the timid, cp. Deuteronomy 20:8.5. Probably an arbitrary test. It is as easy to find abstract reasons for choosing those who stooped down as... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 7:14

(14) This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon.—The sort of dread which revealed itself by this instant interpretation of the dream shows that Israel Was formidable even in its depression, doubtless because the nations around were well aware of the Divine aid by which they had so often struck terror into their enemies. The fact that this Bath Kol echoed the promise which Gideon had already received (Judges 7:9) would give it additional force. read more