Judges 7, Gideon's Three Hundred

Gideon, led by the messenger of YHWH, prepares to attack the Midianites.

Judges 7: 1-3, Remove 22,000 men

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, `Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" 

So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

Gideon says, "If you are frightened, go home!"  Two-thirds of the fighters take him up on this. YHWH wants no excuses.

Judges 7: 4-8, Remove some more

But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, `This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, `This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 

Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."

So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

Gideon says, "If you drink by drawing the water up to your mouth with your hand, stay.  Otherwise go home."  Finally there are only 300 soldiers.

There have been a variety of suggestions as to why these two methods of drinking would separate soldiers. Those who kneel down to drink were sent home. The other posture (lapping water like a dog/lapping with their hands to their mouths) is not clear. Some claim this second posture, used by only 300 men, demonstrated alertness for battle. Other commentators disagree. Some claim that Gideon merely uses this method as a way to trim the army to a size acceptable by YHWH's messenger.

When the rest of the army leaves, Gideon holds onto the provisions, including some trumpets.

Judges 7: 9-12, Listen in

During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.  If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah
and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

YHWH instructs Gideon to listen in on some of the conversations of this large cohort.

Judges 7: 13-14, One man's dream

Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed."

His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."

Midianites are having bad dreams. Gideon overhears one Midianite predicting defeat, since God is on Gideon's side.

Judges 7: 15-18, Gideon hears and worships

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands."

Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

"Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, `For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

Gideon, excited by what he overheard, prepares a surprise attack.  He appears to have access to 300 trumpets, jars and torches, left over from supplies for the greater army. The much smaller army that remains is divided into three companies, each man with trumpets, jars and torches. The torches are inside the jars so that the light of the torches is blocked.

Judges 7: 19-22, Trumpets and broken jars

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.

The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

In the dark the followers of Gideon blow trumpets, break jars and hold up torches. The sudden appearance of 300 jars and trumpets indicates a much larger army.  The men of Gideon stay put, not attacking, but the Midianites react in terror and flee, attacking others in the chaos.  So the Midianites are routed without a real attack by Gideons men.

Judges 7: 23-25, Come down and help us

Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." 

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

The men of Ephraim join in the rout.  Two Midianite leaders are captured and executed. Their places of execution are then named after the killed Midianite chieftains.