Gideon's Three Hundred Defeat the Midianites
Judges 7, verse 1. Then Jerubbaal—that is, Gideon—and all the people with him rose early and encamped at the spring of Harod. To the north of him was the camp of the Midianites, stretching from Gabaath Moreh in the deep valley. Judges 7, verse 2. And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too numerous; I dare not deliver Midian into their hand, lest otherwise Israel boast against Me, saying, ‘This my own hand, it saved me.’ Judges 7, verse 3. Now therefore, proclaim within the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. Judges 7, verse 4. But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many people; bring them down to the water, and there I will purge them for you. And it will be that of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you. And of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go with you.” Judges 7, verse 5. So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” Judges 7, verse 6. And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. Judges 7, verse 7. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. All the other people shall go, every man to his own place.” Judges 7, verse 8. So they took the provision of the people in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent away every man of Israel, every man to his tent, and he strengthened the three hundred. And the army of Midian was below him in the deep valley. Judges 7, verse 9. On that same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. Judges 7, verse 10. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. Judges 7, verse 11. Listen to what they shall say, and afterward your hands shall be strong and you shall then go down into the camp.” And he went down with Purah his servant to the edge of the camp of the fifty. Judges 7, verse 12. And Midian and Amalek and all the sons of the East were scattered as numerous as locusts throughout the valley; and their camels were without number, as the sands on the seashore. Judges 7, verse 13. And Gideon came, and there was a man telling his companion a dream. He said, “Behold, I had a dream. Hear me: A cake of barley bread rolling into the camp of Midian came as far as a tent and struck it so that it fell, flipped over, and collapsed.” Judges 7, verse 14. Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the entire camp.” Judges 7, verse 15. When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped the Lord. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into our hand.” Judges 7, verse 16. Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and put a trumpet into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. Judges 7, verse 17. And he said to them, “Watch me and do as I do; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp, do as I do. Judges 7, verse 18. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’” Judges 7, verse 19. So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, and they completely roused the guards. And they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands, Judges 7, verse 20. and the three companies sounded the trumpets and broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands. In their right hands they held their trumpets to sound with, and they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Judges 7, verse 21. And every man stood in his place round about the camp; and the entire army of men ran and sounded a warning and fled. Judges 7, verse 22. They sounded with three hundred trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his neighbor throughout the entire camp; and the army fled as far as Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. Judges 7, verse 23. And the men of Israel, from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all Manasseh, shouted out and pursued after the Midianites. Judges 7, verse 24. Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet in battle with the Midianites, and take for yourselves the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the River Jordan.” And every man of Ephraim cried out, and they seized the water as far as Beth Barah and the River Jordan. Judges 7, verse 25. And they captured Oreb and Zeeb, rulers in Midian. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from the other side of the Jordan.