What does Judges 7:13 mean?
God has directed Gideon and his servant Purah to spy on the enemy in the valley below the Israelite camp in the hills (Judges 7:9–12). They arrived and witnessed the massive number of men, camels, and tents crowded into the valley (Judges 6:1–5). It's a staggering force to see, even in the night as most of the men are sleeping. It's more intimidating because Gideon has recently reduced his forces to a mere 300 men (Judges 7:2–7).Rather than leaving in terror, Gideon is gifted with an encouraging incident. He overhears two men talking nearby. The text does not reveal if they are in a tent or merely somewhere in the darkness. One man has had a dream, and he is describing it to the other. He dreamed that a cake of barley bread rolled into the camp where they were and struck a tent. Barley cakes would have been small, easily carried and made from cheap grains (John 6:9). And yet, the impact of this little loaf was so powerful that the tent turned upside down and lay flat.
God promised Gideon that he would hear something on this mission that would strengthen him. This context makes it clear the Lord planted this dream in the mind of this soldier. That, in turn, was meant to be described aloud to his friend. While the meaning of the dream might have been unclear, at first, God will provide for that, as well (Judges 7:14).