Judges 7:13 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 7:13

And when Gideon was come ,.... With his servant, near and within hearing the talk and conversation of the outer guards or sentinels: there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow ; his comrade that stood next him, and was upon guard with him; perhaps it was a dream he had dreamed the night before or this selfsame night, being just called up to take his turn in the watch, and so it was fresh upon his mind: and said, behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo ; thus it was as I am going to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 7:13

Told a dream - Both the dream and the interpretation were inspired by God for the purpose of increasing the confidence of Gideon, and appalling his enemies. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 7:13

A cake of barley bread - i. e. such a cake as could hardly be eaten by men, it was so vile: a term expressive of the contempt of the Midianites for the people of Israel.A tent - The tent, meaning, probably, the tent of the king of Midian, or of the captain of the host. 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 7:13

behold . . . Behold . . . lo. Figure of speech Asterismos (three times). App-6 . a dream. See note on Genesis 20:3 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 7:13

Judges 7:13. And when Gideon was come, behold, &c.— However extraordinary this dream, and the interpretation of it, may appear; we must remember, that it was immediately inspired by God himself, to encourage Gideon, who was sent to the Midianitish host by the Lord, on purpose to hear it; and, in this view, we can find no difficulty in the interpretation given of it by the Midianitish soldier. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 7:13

13. I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian—This was a characteristic and very expressive dream for an Arab in the circumstances. The rolling down the hill, striking against the tents, and overturning them, naturally enough connected it in his mind with the position and meditated attack of the Israelitish leader. The circumstance of the cake, too, was very significant. Barley was usually the food of the poor, and of beasts; but most probably, from the... 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