Bible Commentaries

The Rout of Midian

1-7. Gideon's choice of his Followers.

1. The sites here mentioned are doubtful. Moreh] said to be near Shechem (Genesis 12:6; Deuteronomy 11:30). After the battle Gideon crosses the Jordan by the fords one would take if travelling from Shechem eastwards.

3. Gilead] is E. of the Jordan: some other locality must be meant. For the return of the timid, cp. Deuteronomy 20:8.

5. Probably an arbitrary test. It is as easy to find abstract reasons for choosing those who stooped down as for rejecting them. The test in Judges 12:6 is very different.

8-25. The Rout of Midian.

11. The author frankly admits that, in spite of Judges 6:34, Gideon is afraid to take the bolder course.

13. A cake of barley bread] apparently a disk-like cake baked in the ashes: representing the Israelite peasants, as the tent represents the Midianite nomads.

15. Worshipped] bowed down before God.

16. Lamps] RV 'torches.'

18. The sword] These words do not occur in the Heb. in this v. but are supplied from Judges 7:20. Jehovah is the true leader of the Israelite host.

19. The middle watch] i.e. when the night was about a third through: well before midnight.

22. These places cannot be identified, but were probably in the Jordan valley, towards a point E. of Shechem.

23. See Judges 6:35. Probably those who had left Gideon before the surprise now hurry in pursuit of the flying foe. They did not, however, as it would seem, actually join Gideon (Judges 8:4).

24. Ephraim] the leading tribe has not yet been mentioned. Beth-barah] not certainly identified; probably a tributary of the Jordan, the Wady Farah, which the Ephraimites would be able to reach before the fugitives. The latter—thus prevented from moving further southwards—would be enclosed between the two rivers, and helpless. Cp. Isaiah 9:4.

25. Two princes] RV 'the two princes.' Oreb] 'Raven.' Zeeb] 'Wolf.' Other side Jordan] This is an anticipation of the next chapter (Judges 7:4).