Judges 7:24

THE PURSUIT AND SLAUGHTER OF THE MIDIANITES

"And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, beyond the Jordan."

"Ephraim ... took the waters ... even the Jordan" (Judges 7:24). The powerful tribe of Ephraim was here solicited to join in the campaign against Midian, and they promptly responded. By some chance or oversight Gideon had not solicited their aid until this event; and that was to cause a complaint discussed later in Judges 8. Gideon's diplomacy solved the problem satisfactorily.

"They slew Oreb ... and Zeeb" (Judges 7:25). These were mighty princes of Midian; and to Ephraim went the honor of executing these leaders of the hordes of invasion. Nothing is known of "the rock" or the "winepress" where those princes met their death; but no doubt the Israelites pointed out the places for years afterward.

"'Oreb' means "raven,' and `Zeeb,' means `wolf."'[21]

"They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan" (Judges 7:25). Events had moved very rapidly in this complete rout and defeat of the Midianites and their allies. Some of the invaders had passed over the Jordan in their flight eastward, probably at some obscure crossing not controlled by the Ephraimites; and Gideon had already crossed over the Jordan in their pursuit. The main forces of the enemy were intercepted at the Jordan by the Ephraimites who slew the princes and took their heads to Gideon as he continued to fight the Midianites east of Jordan.

God had fulfilled his promise to deliver Israel from Midianite oppression by the hand of Gideon.