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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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 7:23-25

We have here the prosecution of this glorious victory. 1. Gideon's soldiers that had been dismissed, and perhaps had begun to disperse themselves, upon notice of the enemies? flight got together again, and vigorously pursued those whom they had not courage to face. The men of Israel out of Naphtali and Asher who did this (Jdg. 7:23) were not such as now came from those distant countries, but the same that had enlisted themselves (Jdg. 6:35), but had been cashiered. Those who were fearful and... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:19

So Gideon, and the one hundred men that were with him ,.... Which was one of the three companies his army was divided into, and which company he had the command of particularly: came unto the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch ; the second watch, for the night was divided into three watches; for though in later times there were four watches, among the Romans F8 Liv. Hist. l. 36. c. 24. "Suidas in. voce" προφνλακη , "et in voce" φνλακη , and which the Jews... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:20

And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers ,.... The other two, observing what Gideon and his company did, followed their example, and at the same time blew their trumpets, and broke their pitchers; for that there were four companies, three besides Gideon's, as Kimchi and Ben Melech suggest, there is no reason to believe: and held the lamps in their left hands ; which they took out of the pitchers when they broke them, and holding them up in their left hands, gave... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:21

And they stood every man in his place around the camp ,.... To see the salvation of God, and that it might most clearly appear to be his own doing; and indeed, had they gone into it, they could have done nothing; they had no weapons in their hands, a trumpet in one hand, and a lamp in the other; though this their position served to increase the terror of the enemy, who might suppose that they stood either to light and introduce a large army at the back of them; or to light the forces already... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:22

And the three hundred men blew the trumpets ,.... Kept blowing them to continue and increase the terror of the enemy, and still held the lamps in their hands, and stood as torch bearers to light the Midianites and their associates to destroy one another, as follows: and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow throughout the host ; and so slew one another; either suspecting treachery, as Grotius, and so in revenge, wrath, and indignation, drew their swords on each other; or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 7:23

And the men of Israel gathered themselves together ,.... Not out of all the tribes, but out of those which lay nearest, and which are particularly mentioned: out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh : and these seem to be the same persons out of those tribes who first joined Gideon, but were separated from his army; both those that were fearful, and those that bowed their knees to drink, and who perhaps had not gone far before they heard of the defeat and flight of the... read more

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