Judges 7:4

GOD CUTS GIDEON'S NUMBER DOWN TO 300

"And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shall thou set by himself; likewise everyone that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley."

"Bring them down to the water" (Judges 7:4). God has frequently devised a "water test" in the achievement of his holy purposes. It was a water test that selected Rebekah to be the wife of Isaac (Genesis 24:43-46). It was the water test that separated liberated Israel from the pursuing legions of Pharaoh, and here God selected the triumphant three hundred from the ten thousand by a water test. Even today, God chooses among the sons of men by another water test - immersion (Mark 16:15,16).

Barnes was of the opinion that the choice of the three hundred was due to the fact that they, "Slaked their thirst with moderation, and without being off their guard for an instant,"[7] which caution was not exhibited by the great majority who simply bowed down upon their knees to drink of the stream of water. Although, that may very well be the grounds of the selection, there is also the definite possibility, as suggested by Bruce, that, "The test was quite arbitrary."[8]

"So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets" (Judges 7:8). Some of the versions read `provisions' here instead of "victuals." The significant thing is that ALL of the trumpets were left with the three hundred men. "Thus every one of the three hundred men had a trumpet."[9]