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Gideon is sent

Before CHRIST about 1249.

JUDGES.

The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, || my family is poor in Mathe meanest. nasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

|| Or, my thousand is

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This Gideon did "to hide it from the Midianites ;" and "by the winepress," where none would suspect his threshing of corn. Bp. Patrick.

13.

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if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?] The valiant man is here weak; weak in faith, weak in discourse; while he argues God's absence by affliction, his presence by deliverances, and the improbability of success by his own disability. All these are gross inconsequences. He should rather have inferred God's presence with the Israelites from the correction which they suffered; for, wheresoever God chastiseth, there He is; yea, there He is in mercy: nothing more proves us his, than his stripes; He bestows not correction where He loves not. Bp. Hall.

15. O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Humility is both a sign of future glory, and a way to it, and an occasion of it. Vain glory and height of spirit will not avail with God: none have ever been raised by Him, but those who have formerly dejected themselves; none have been confounded by Him that are abased in themselves it is immediately on Gideon's using these

to deliver the Israelites.

20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

Before CHRIST about 1249.

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of c Exod. 33. the LORD face to face.

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

20.

chap. 13. 22.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it || Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is | That is, yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

The LORD send peace.

25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, || even the second bullock of seven || Or, and, years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this + rock, in the ordered place, and + Heb. strong take the second bullock, and offer a or, in an burnt sacrifice with the wood of the order grove which thou shalt cut down.

27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, be

place.

manner.

words, that God says to him, ver. 16, "Surely I will be with thee." Bp. Hall.

22. Alas, O Lord God!] He speaks as a person under great alarm, and breaks off his discourse abruptly. Bp. Patrick.

25.-throw down the altar of Baal] Baal's altar must first be destroyed, ere God's be built; both cannot stand together: the true God will have no society with idols, neither will He allow it to us. In this instance, He does not desire to have consecrated to Himself, the altar which had been abused to Baal; but, as one whose holy jealousy will admit no worship, till there be no idolatry. He first commands them to destroy the monuments of superstition, and then enjoins his own service. Bp. Hall.

26. in the ordered place,] Where the flesh and cakes were laid in order on the rock, ver. 20. Or the words may signify, as in the margin, "in an orderly manner." Although Gideon was no priest, yet he was here required to offer a burnt sacrifice, by God's special order; which would have been otherwise a presump

Joash defendeth his son.

Before CHRIST

CHAP. VI, VII.

cause he feared his father's houshold, about 1249. and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown. down his altar.

33¶Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

tuous sin. The command was extraordinary. Bp. Patrick.

31.-if he be a god, let him plead for himself,] Let the injured god, he tells them, avenge his own cause: if Baal be what he has been supposed to be, you may safely trust to him to maintain his own honour. Pyle.

33.-in the valley of Jezreel.] The city of Jezreel (which gave name to the valley) belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh, on the west of Jordan. In the history of the kings of Israel, this city is frequently mentioned, as, by reason of the pleasantness of the situation, some of them had a royal palace there, though their capital was Samaria. The vale of Jezreel is, according to Mr. Maundrell, of a vast extent, very fertile, but uncultivated, and only serving the Arabs for pasture. Some have supposed, however, that the valley of Jezreel, here mentioned, denotes some lesser valley, between mount Hermon and mount Gilboa. Dr. Wells.

34.the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon,] Exciting him now to put in execution the commission which God had given him to deliver Israel, and filling him with an extraordinary degree of courage for such an undertaking. Dr. Wells. The Spirit of the Lord, by which Gideon was animated to undertake the deliverance of his country, was a spirit of fortitude and prudence, and of all the virtues requisite in a commander. Dr. Hales.

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34 But the Spirit of the LORD Before came upon Gideon, and he blew about 1249. a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was ga-Heb. thered after him.

clothed. d Numb. 10.

chap. 3. 27.

35 And he sent messengers through- 3. out all Manasseh; who also was ga-Heb. was thered after him: and he sent mes- called after sengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

him.

39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against e Gen. 18. 32. me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

CHAP. VII.

1 Gideon's army of two and thirty thousand is brought to three hundred. 9 He is en

36.If thou wilt save Israel-as thou hast said,] He desires another miracle to confirm his faith, perhaps for the sake of those that were to follow him; or perhaps, wishing to know by a sign whether God would make him victorious at that particular time. Bp. Pa

trick.

Of all the instruments which God used in so great a work, we find none so weak as Gideon. The former miracle was strong enough to carry him through his first exploit, of ruining the idolatrous grove and altar: but now, when he saw the swarm of the Midianites and Amalekites approaching, he called for new aid; and, not trusting to his thousands of Israel, flew to God for a further assurance of victory. The refuge was good, but the manner of seeking it savours of distrust. Bp. Hall.

39.-let it now be dry only upon the fleece, &c.] If we understand that the miracle of the dew on the fleece was a kind of publick testimony to satisfy the officers and people under him, we then see the reason of its repetition, with the opposite variation: for, if there were any of his adherents who suspected deception in the first instance, when the threshing-floor was dry, and the fleece wet with dew, they might be convinced by the contrary effect, when the fleece was dry, and the threshing-floor wet with dew. Script. illust.

Gideon's army reduced

Before CHRIST about 1249.

1 Mac. 3. 56.

JUDGES.

upon

to three hundred.

couraged by the dream and interpretation | likewise every one that boweth down
of the barley cake. 16 His stratagem of his knees to drink.
trumpets and lamps in pitchers. 24 The
Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb.

THEN Jerubbaal, who is Gideon,
and all the people that were with
him, rose up early, and pitched beside
the well of Harod: so that the host
of the Midianites were on the north
side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in
the valley.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon,
The people that are with thee are too
many for me to give the Midianites
into their hands, lest Israel vaunt
themselves against me, saying, Mine
own hand hath saved me.

6 And the number of them that
lapped, putting their hand to their
mouth, were three hundred men : but
were
all the rest of the people bowed down
upon their knees to drink water.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon,
By the three hundred men that lap-
ped will I save you, and deliver the
Midianites into thine hand: and let
all the other people go every man
unto his place.

8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, a Deut. 20. 8. a Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thou-hand. sand.

4 And the LORD 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.

5 So he brought down the people unto the water and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself;

Chap. VII. ver. 2. lest Israel vaunt themselves] God knew the disposition of the Israelites, and foresaw that, from motives of vanity, they would be disposed to ascribe the victory to their own power and prowess, and not to Him: whereas He intended to shew to all the world that it was his miraculous work. Bp. Patrick. 3.—from mount Gilead.] Not the mountain of that name, often mentioned in Scripture, which was east of Jordan; but another on the west side of Jordan, in the tribe of Manasseh. Bp. Patrick.

4. The people are yet too many;] If human strength were to be opposed, there should have needed an equality of strength; but now that God meant to give the victory, his care was not how to get it, but how not to lose the glory of it. He was willing to give deliverance unto Israel, but the praise of the deliverance He would keep to Himself: it was the same with Him to save with many as with few; but He rather chose to save by few, that all the victory might redound to Himself. Bp.

Hall.

5.Every one that lappeth &c.] We may well suppose they were thirsty with the heat of the weather,

9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

Before CHRIST about 1249.

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the || armed men that were in the I Or, ranks host.

by five.

12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of b Chap. 6. 33. the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

and with the march; which made them greedily betake themselves to the water. Bp. Patrick. It has been variously conjectured, what symptoms of courage or cowardice were collected from these different ways of drinking amongst the soldiers; some supposing that the snatching it up with the hand denoted a fearful temper; others, on the contrary, supposing that this way of drinking betokened courage, or a temperate and hardy disposition. It is more probable, that the manner of drinking was a symptom of neither; but that God, foreknowing all things, chose this manner of pitching on the smaller number, without any regard to their personal valour. Pyle.

The true reason and design of this method seems to be this: God was minded to reduce the army of Gideon to a very small number, which, it was probable, would be effected by this means; for as the season was hot, and the generality of the soldiers weary, thirsty, and faint, it was most probable that they would lie down, (as indeed they did,) and refresh themselves plentifully; and it was scarcely to be expected that any great number would deny themselves in this matter. Stackhouse.

His stratagem.

Before CHRIST

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13 And when Gideon was come, | blew the trumpets, and brake the
pitchers that were in their hands.
20 And the three companies blew
the trumpets, and brake the pitchers,
and held the lamps in their left hands,
and the trumpets in their right hands
to blow withal: and they cried, The
sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

about 1249. behold, there was a man that told a
dream unto his fellow, and said, Be-
hold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a
cake of barley bread tumbled into
the host of Midian, and came unto
a tent, and smote it that it fell, and
overturned it, that the tent lay along.

+ Heb. the breaking thereof.

14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

15 ¶ And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and t the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and || lamps of all of them. within the pitchers.

+ Heb. trumpets in the hand

|| Or, firebrands, or, torches.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they

15.—that he worshipped,] Gave humble thanks to God for his goodness, in giving this new encouragement to proceed in his undertaking. Bp. Patrick.

16.with empty pitchers,] Earthen pitchers. Bp. Patrick. Though leathern bottles were much used by the people of the East, earthen jars or pitchers were sometimes used also. Dr. Chandler mentions having used an earthen jar for carrying water in travelling through Asia Minor. If this was the practice in Gideon's time, it could not be difficult for him to collect three hundred water jars from among ten thousand Harmer.

men.

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Before CHRIST about 1249.

21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set e Isa. 9. 4. every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host and the host fled to Beth-shittah || in Zere- || Or,towards. rath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.

+ Heb. lip.

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watchword was taken from the interpretation of the Midianite's dream, as referring to "the sword of Gideon," ver. 14; to which Gideon piously prefixed "the sword of the Lord," as the Author of the stratagem, of the dream, and of its interpretation. Dr. Hales.

19.-in the beginning of the middle watch;] The Hebrews and other Eastern nations divided the night into three parts, which were called the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd watches; because the guards or watches were changed three times. The Romans, and from them the Jews in later times, divided the night into four watches; whence we read in the Gospel of the 4th watch. Lewis. 24. took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.] That is, they secured all the fords or passes along the river Jordan, from Beth-barah, (which is thought to be the same as Bethabara, mentioned by St. John,) lying near the south end of the river Jordan, to the beginning of Jordan, or its issuing from the sea of Galilee. Dr. Wells.

25. the rock Oreb,] The rock, called Oreb in future times, from the event here related. Bp. Patrick.

Zebah and Zalmunna are taken.

Before CHRIST

about 1249.

+ Heb. What thing is

this thou hast done

unto us?

+ Heb. strongly.

+ Heb. spirit.

army.

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10 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. I swered him as the men of Succoth 13 Succoth and Penuel are destroyed. 18 had answered him. Gideon revengeth his brethren's death on Zebah and Zalmunna. 22 He refuseth government. 24 His ephod cause of idolatry. 28 Midian subdued. 29 Gideon's children, and death, 33 The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude.

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ND the men of Ephraim said unto him, + Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him + sharply.

2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Öreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me: for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then + Heb. thresh. I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise and the men of Penuel an

:

Chap. VIII. ver. 2.-Is not the gleaning &c.] A common proverb, probably, in those days, by which they were wont to commend the smallest action of one, as superiour to the greatest of another. It is as if he had said, These scattered parties, which you have gleaned and picked up at the fords of Jordan, are far more than those which I and my whole host have destroyed. Bp. Patrick.

5.- Succoth,] See Gen. xxxiii. 17.

6.

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Are the hands &c.] They bid him first take those kings captive, and bring them with their hands bound behind them, before he made any demands upon

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Before CHRIST about 1249.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell || an Or, an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 ¶ And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host for the host was

secure.

hundred and

twenty

thousand, every one

drawing a

sword.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and + discom- + Heb. fited all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

terrified.

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he +described unto him the ↑ Heb. writ. princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the + Heb. made men of Succoth.

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them. It is a bitter sort of taunt, arising from irreligion, which made them doubt whether the hand of God was in the victory, and whether Gideon would be able to perfect it. Bp. Patrick.

9.- this tower.] The tower of their city, in which they confided, and to which perhaps they pointed when they gave this rude answer. Bp. Patrick.

16.-with them he taught the men of Succoth.] With them he beat the elders of the city, for a warning unto the men of Succoth; who by their example were taught how dangerous it is to slight the agents of God. Bp.

Hall.

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