Judges 7:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

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

NASB: And the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

CSB: Then the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.

NLT: Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites.

Gideon's strategy, likely given to him by the Lord, has worked beautifully (Judges 7:15–18). By positioning just 300 men around the camp and blowing horns and shouting and holding torches (Judges 7:19–22), they have convinced the enormous horde (Judges 8:10) they were under attack by a massive force. The Lord caused confusion to fall on the camp; at least some of this was probably due to Midianites accidentally attacking their own returning guards during the chaos. That, in turn, would lead others to attack the attackers, creating a wave of utter mayhem.

Thanks to this combination of darkness, fear, trumpets, and shouting, the Midianites attacked each other for a time before fleeing to the east. The hope of the survivors was to get across the Jordan River and escape into the desert.

Gideon, of course, doesn't want them to escape. He wants to end their annual raids on Israel (Judges 6:1–5) once and for all. So, he presumes he will need more than just 300 soldiers with trumpets and torches. As his men pursue the terrified enemy, they send messages to the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to help give chase. Those called into the hunt may very have included the men dismissed earlier that day through God's unique sorting process (Judges 7:2–9).

Scholars differ on their view of this verse. The text does not mention direction from the Lord about calling out men of Israel to pursue and attack the Midianites. For that reason, some speculate Gideon went beyond what the Lord intended, perhaps losing the Lord's blessing. Others assume this was the Lord's plan all along, especially since the Midianites and their allies are so thoroughly defeated. In either case, the victory will be an epic rout.

Judges 7:19–25 describes the Lord's victory over the Midianites through Gideon and his 300 men. The Israelites take positions around the Midianite camp well after dark. They choose a strategic moment to attack: just after the changing of the guard. Nearly in unison, the Israelite soldiers blow trumpets and shout battle cries while exposing torches. The Midianites panic, assuming the enemy force is massive. In the dark, and in a panic, they begin attacking each other. The chaos leads them to flee toward the Jordan River. Gideon calls for men from several tribes to join him in chasing them down. He sends messengers to Ephraim to tell them to cut off the fleeing enemy at the Jordan River. The Midianites do not escape.

Gideon and his 32,000–man army of volunteer Israelites camp in the hills above the Midianite invaders in the valley. The Lord tells Gideon to reduce his troops until only 300 remain. God allows Gideon to overhear the interpretation of a Midianite dream, an event that strengthens his faith. Gideon and his 300 men take positions around the Midianite camp and blow trumpets, hold up torches, and shout battle cries. Those in the camp panic and begin attacking each other. The survivors flee toward the Jordan but are eventually cut off.

Despite a miraculous calling from God, and success in his first actions, Gideon still expressed doubt (Judges 6). After seeing two custom-requested miracles, Gideon prepares to attack the Midianite invaders. He winnows his army down to only 300 men and overhears an encouraging conversation. Gideon and his men surprise the enemy after nightfall with trumpets and torches, sparking a panic. This begins a rout of the enemy. In the next chapter, Gideon succeeds further despite stubbornness from his own people (Judges 8).

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).