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| 1 And Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, arose early, and all the people that were with him, and they encamped beside the spring Harod; and he had the camp of Midian on the north by the hill of Moreh in the valley. |
Gideon – Type of the Lord Jesus. R4082:5, R3686:6
Well of Harod – Harod spring, a little lake which drains off eastward to the Jordan. R5606:3
Harod signifies "Coward." It is assumed that the name was given because of the fear manifested by the 22,000 who went home. R5606:3
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| 2 And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. |
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| 3 And now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is timid and afraid, let him go back and turn from mount Gilead. And there went back of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. |
Whosoever is fearful – A test of faith. R1876:1
Picturing justified believers who, shunning the hardships, decline to consecrate fully. R1876:4, R5607:4, R4083:2
All the justified ones must first sit down and count the cost. R4083:2
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| 4 And Jehovah said to Gideon, Still the people are many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there, and it shall be, that of whom I shall say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I shall say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
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Yet too many – Illustrating that God is not dependent upon numbers or ecclesiastical organization. R458:5
Unto the water – Typifying the truth. R4083:3, R5606:6
Shall go with thee – The honor due to the human instruments used was not in their strength and skill in battle, but in their faith in God. R1876:1
So shall it be when the Lord shall again fight for Israel; it will not be by their own power. R1747:1
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| 5 And he brought down the people to the water; and Jehovah said to Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down on his knees to drink. |
Lappeth of the water – Signifying alertness and obedience. R5606:6
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| 6 And the number of them that lapped, with their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. |
Putting their hand – Symbol of energy (zeal). R4083:3, R1876:1
To their mouth – Thus maintaining their own erectness of manhood, showing energy and discretion in drinking and lifting up their heads in acknowledgment of the heavenly origin of the truth. R4083:4
300 men – Representing those who are alert in the Master's service, the wiser of the two classes who appreciate the truth. R5606:6, R4082:5
Upon their knees – Typifying those who bow down in the mire of human servility, drinking the water of truth more for their own satisfaction. R4083:4, R5606:6
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| 7 And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and give Midian into thy hand; and let all the people go every man to his place. |
Gideon – Representing Christ. R5607:1, R2550:4
300 men – Christ, like Gideon, is called of God to lead a "Little Flock" forth to the conquest of the hosts of sin. OV268:2; R1876:4, R4083:2
Other people go – A portion of the Lord's consecrated who, being less alert, are less used. R5607:4, R5606:6
Picturing those who are weary in well-doing, whose zeal abates, love grows cold and faith declines and who fail to push on to the end. R1876:4
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| 8 And they took the victuals of the people in their hand, and their trumpets; and all the men of Israel he sent away, every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley. |
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| 9 And it came to pass in that night, that Jehovah said to him, Arise, go down to the camp; for I have given it into thy hand. |
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| 10 And if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the camp; |
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| 11 and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thy hand be strengthened, and thou shalt go down unto the camp. And he went down with Phurah his servant to the outside of the armed men that were in the camp. |
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| 12 And Midian and Amalek and all the children of the east lay along in the valley as locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand upon the sea-shore for multitude. |
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| 13 And Gideon came, and behold, a man was telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it; and the tent lay along. |
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| 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, the man of Israel: God hath given into his hand Midian and all the host. |
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| 15 And it came to pass when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshipped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath given into your hand the camp of Midian. |
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| 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, and empty pitchers, and torches within the pitchers. |
A trumpet – Ram's horn trumpet. R5607:1
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| 17 And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise; behold, when I come to the extremity of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. |
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| 18 And when I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, ye also shall blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shall say, For Jehovah and for Gideon! |
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| 19 And Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. |
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| 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hand, and the trumpets in their right hand for blowing, and cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon! |
Blew the trumpets – Representing the proclamation of the truth. R4083:5; PD38/48
Jubilee trumpets. R2555:5
Brake the pitchers – Representing our earthen vessels. R4083:5
The lamps – The broken vessels of Gideon's band represent how the Lord's people present their bodies living sacrifices, letting the light shine out and fighting a good fight against the hosts of sin. R5607:5, R4083:5, R2550:5; PD38/48
The Lord's spirit is represented by the light of the lamp shining from the broken vessel. R5607:5
Sword of the LORD – Of Jehovah, our Captain. R4083:5
The sword represented God's Word. PD38/48
And of Gideon – Of Christ. R4083:5
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| 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried out, and fled. |
All the host ran – Picturing the time of trouble. R3686:6
Jehovah fought Israel's ancient battles without being seen, except with the eyes of understanding. R286:3
Cried, and fled – Imagined themselves being surrounded by a great host. R5607:2
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| 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout the camp. And the host fled to Beth-shittah towards Zererah, to the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. |
Against his fellow – They fought each other, mistaking each other for foes. R5607:2, R4083:4
The climax of the battle will be a temporary reign of anarchy. R5607:5
The hosts of sin, the powers of evil, will fall upon one another for their mutual destruction. R5607:5, R2550:5
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| 23 And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian. |
Men of Israel – Others than the Little Flock will be associated in the work of overthrow. R4083:6
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| 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim were called together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan. |
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| 25 And they took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; and they pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. |
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