Judges 7:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

NIV: When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

NASB: And when they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the entire army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

CSB: When Gideon's men blew their three hundred ram's horns, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords. They fled to Acacia House in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

NLT: When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

KJV: And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

NKJV: When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Gideon's plan (Judges 7:15–18) worked perfectly. His 300 men spread around the perimeter of the camp, in the dead of night, blew trumpets and smashed pitchers and shouted battle cries while holding torches in the air. The Lord uses this panic and chaos to convince the Midianites and their allies that the attackers were already in the camp (Judges 7:19–21).

Those awakened by the noise and lights assumed they were surrounded and under attack by a massive army. They cried out and tried to run away, likely straight into armed guards just returning from their late-night duty, and assuming them to be the enemy. They began fighting each other. That would lead others, coming across a skirmish, to assume some of the men were invaders, and attack them. In this way, the whole Midianite army is thrown into utter chaos. It's unclear how many died in this way before the army could reorganize enough to retreat from this phantom battle.

At some point, they gain their senses enough to start running in the same direction: east. Whether the entire army stayed together, or split as they ran, Scripture does not specify. The location of these places is not known with certainty to modern scholars. The general idea is that the Midianite forces fled toward the Jordan River, hoping to cross at the fords and escape into the desert beyond.

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).