Bible Commentaries
Judges 7

Verse 1

host = camp.

Verse 2

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . lest, &c. This is the real reason of this direction.

Verse 3

mount Gilead. What was more natural than that the half tribe of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan should so name a mount in their tribe in compliment to the famous mount on the east side? (Genesis 31:21-26 ; Genesis 37:25 .Numbers 32:1 , Numbers 32:40 . Deuteronomy 3:15 .Joshua 17:1; Joshua 17:1 ). Gideon was of that tribe. Probably "the wood of Ephraim", on east side; so named here out of compliment to the half tribe on west side (2 Samuel 18:6 ).

twenty = probably 20 + 2,000 = 2,020. Compare Judges 12:6 . 1 Samuel 6:19 . If there remained 10,000, there must have been 10,000 + 2,020 = 12,020; and, as only 300 remained, 9,700 must have gone away at the second testing. Only 1,000 of each tribe = 12,000, sent out to fight in Numbers 31:4 , Numbers 31:5 .

Verse 5

lappeth: i.e. without kneeling down as idolaters were accustomed to do ( 1Ki 19:18 . 2 Chronicles 29:9 . See note on Esther 3:2 .

as = according as.

Verse 8

the People. So the 300 are called.

Verse 12

Amalekites. See note on Exodus 17:16 .

children = sons.

grasshoppers = locusts.

as the sand, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia.

Verse 13

behold . . . Behold . . . lo. Figure of speech Asterismos (three times). App-6 .

a dream. See note on Genesis 20:3 .

Verse 14

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

Verse 16

lamps = torches, which smoulder till waved in the air.

Verse 18

The sword. These words are supplied by Figure of speech Ellipsis from Judges 7:20 . But some codices, with Aram, and Syriac, read these words in the text. Literally "For Jehovah and for Gideon".

Verse 24

mount = hill country.

Verse 25

two princes. Compare Psalms 83:11 .Isaiah 10:26 .