Judges 7:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

NIV: So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

NASB: So the three hundred men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And Gideon dismissed all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

CSB: So Gideon sent all the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred troops, who took the provisions and their ram's horns. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

NLT: So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him. The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

God has used a two-stage test to reduce Gideon's forces. If the numbers given in these passages are literal, Israel's forces will be outnumbered something like 450-to-1 (Judges 7:7; 8:10). The first test was a standard practice commanded by God in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 20:5–8; Judges 7:3): everyone desperately afraid was allowed to go home. That left only a third of the original volunteers. The next test was to let those men drink from a brook and divide out those who drank the water from their hands instead of directly from the brook with their faces. That left only 300. The Lord has promised Gideon to give him victory over the swarming Midianite raiders (Judges 6:5) with those 300 men.

In obedience, Gideon sends several thousand men back to their tents. The 300 took the provisions the people had given to the army and their trumpets and prepared for the battle. The Midianite camp was approximately five miles, or eight kilometers, along the valley below the Israelite position.

Judges 7:1–18 begins with Gideon and his large company of Israelite volunteers setting up camp in the hills just a few miles from the Midianite camp in the valley below. God gives Gideon two tests to reduce the number of his troops until only 300 are left. God tells Gideon to spy on the Midianite camp, where he overhears a conversation which bolsters his faith. Gideon returns to his camp and prepares for the attack that night. He gives his men torches concealed in clay jars, as well as trumpets.

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).