John Gill Commentary Judges 7

Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon. That being the name his father had lately given him (Judges 6:32).

and all the people that were with him, rose up early; encouraged by the signs and miracles wrought, by which he was assured of success. He was eager to be about his work, and therefore rose early in the morning, and got his army together, and marched to engage the enemy.

and pitched beside the well of Harod; which he might choose for the refreshment of his army on occasion; or, however, so he was directed in Providence here, where a trial was to be made of them by water. This well, or fountain, seems to be the same with that in (1 Samuel 29:1). It signifies fear and trembling, and might have its name either from the fear and trembling of the 22,000 Israelites, whose hearts were dismayed at the Midianites, and they were ordered to return home; or from the fear and trembling of the Midianites, who were discomfited here; the former seems to be the true reason .

So that the Midianites were on the north side of them; which Gideon, no doubt, judged to be an advantageous post to him.

by the hill of Moreh, in the valley; the valley of Jezreel, one of the mountains of Gilboa, as is supposed. The Targum is, "by the hill which looks to the plain;" from which he could have a view of the Midianitish army, and the disposition of it.

Some think this hill had its name from the Midianitish archers; but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, from there being a watch here to direct the ways, or to give notice to the inhabitants of the valley when an army came against them; though some take it to be a school of some eminent teacher in those days^F26.

FOOTNOTES:

• F26: See Weemse's Christian Synagogue, l. 1. c. 6. sect. 5.

And the Lord said to Gideon, the people that are with you
are too many
It appears, by what follows, that there were 32,000 of them, which was but a small army to engage with one of 100,000 more than they; for such was the army of the Midianites and their associates, see (Judges 8:10) but the people were too many, says the Lord,

for me to give the Midianites into their hands ;
who would be apt to ascribe the victory to themselves, and not to the Lord; to their number, strength, and valour, and not to the hand of the Lord:

lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, my own hand has
saved me ;
or glory over me, take the glory from me, and ascribe it to themselves, boasting that by their power and prowess they had obtained the victory.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people
Such a proclamation as follows, was, according to the law of God, to be made when Israel went out to battle against their enemies, (Deuteronomy 20:8); though it looks as if Gideon would not have made such proclamation, had he not been directed to it by the Lord, his army being so small in comparison of the enemy; and perhaps Gideon might understand that law to have respect only to war made for the enlargement of their country, and not for defence against invaders:

saying, whosoever is fearful and afraid ;
to, engage in battle, because of the number of the enemy:

let him return, and depart early from Mount Gilead ;
where it seems they now were, being the same with the hill of Moreh, or adjoining to it; a mountain in the tribe of Manasseh, so called either from its likeness to Mount Gilead on the other side Jordan; or rather in memory of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from which the half tribe sprung, which was on this side, as well as that on the other; and perhaps this name might be given to the mount, to show that they were of the same tribe, though separated by Jordan: now the fearful and faint hearted had leave given them by this proclamation to return home directly; and as both armies lay so near, and it might reasonably be expected the battle would be the next day, they are directed to get away in the morning, as early as they could, that they might not be seen, and so be filled with shame themselves, and discourage others.

Though some think Mount Gilead, on the other side Jordan, is meant, from which it is supposed many came to Gideon, (Judges 6:35) and now are ordered to return back, as many as were fearful; and instead of "from", they render the word "to", or "towards", or "beyond" Gilead. Kimchi thinks the word we render "depart early" has the signification of surrounding, a diadem is expressed by a word derived from this, which encompasses the head, (Isaiah 28:5); and so the sense is, that they were ordered to go round about Mount Gilead, and so return home; but it rather may signify their hasty departure and speedy flight, like that of a bird, (Psalms 11:1).

And there returned of the people 22,000, and there remained 10,000; so that they were in all 32,000: now though these of their own accord came and joined Gideon with an intention and resolution to stand by him, and fight the enemy, yet when they came and saw what a large host they had to engage with, and how small the army was with Gideon, their hearts failed them, and they were glad to take the advantage of the proclamation.

And the Lord said to Gideon, the people are yet too many
Though they were but just the number that Barak had with him, when he attacked Sisera's army and got the victory, which yet was ascribed to God, whose hand was manifestly seen in it; but as these might be supposed to be able men of valour that remained, they were too many for God to have that glory he intended to display in this victory:

bring them down to the water ;
from the hill on which they were, to a brook that ran at the bottom of it, perhaps a stream from the fountain or well of Harod, (Judges 7:1)

and I will try them for thee there ,
or "purge them" ^F1 , as silver is purged from dross, so the word signifies, as Kimchi observes, the righteous from the wicked, as he thinks; who, with others, suppose that by those who bowed on their knees to drink, were such as had been used to bow the knee to Baal, and the rest not, and so one were discerned from the other; but this trial was only for the sake of Gideon, to direct him whom he should take with him, and whom not:

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: (wnprua) "defaecabo", Drusius; "eliquabo, seu purgabo", Piscator.

So he brought them down to the water ] His whole army of 10,000 men:

and the Lord said to Gideon, everyone that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; this has led some, as particularly Grotius, to think of the Egyptian dogs; of whom Aelianus relates ^F2, that they do not drink at once freely, and to satiety, being afraid of the crocodiles in the river; but run about the bank, and by stealth snatch a little here and a little there, and so satisfy themselves.

But the allusion here is to dogs in common, whose usual way it is not to sup in, and drink a drought, but by putting out their tongues to lick and lap water with them, as Aristotle says all creatures do that have teeth like saws; and the likeness between the drinking of these men, to be observed lay not in anything else but in the single action of lapping; for they first took the water in the hollow of their hands, out of the stream, and then lapped it, as in (Judges 7:6) whereas a dog does not and cannot take water that way; and this lapping was standing upright, whereas dogs in common, as Aelianus in the same place suggests, bow themselves, and lap as much water as will satisfy their thirst.

And by this these men were distinguished from those that bowed on their knees to drink; for had they not taken up water in their hands, they must have bowed down on their knees to have lapped, as well as those did, to sup it, or take in a large draught of it; now all those that thus lapped were to be set apart by themselves; but whether they were to go with Gideon or not, as yet he knew not: likewise everyone that bows down on his knee to drink; were to be set by themselves also, but which of those were to go with him is after related.

FOOTNOTES:

• F2: Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 4.
• F3: Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 6.