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me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved The Midianites were four times as many as the Israelites, who therefore would have had no reason to glory in themselves; had they conquered with all their forces, it would even then have been evidently a miracle; but God, knowing their proneness to S boast in themselves, ordered their number to be lessened. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, according to the law of Moses, Deut. xx. 8. saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.* And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand only, to venture 4their lives. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people [are] yet [too] many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there and it shall be, [that] of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go; that is, I will give thee a sign, whereby thou mayest discover who they be that are indeed 5 fit for this service. So he brought down the people unto the water and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, who takes a little water in his hand, sips, and hastens away, him shalt thou set by himself, and likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink, which denoted sloth and delay in this great 6 work. And the number of them that lapped, [putting] their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the [other] people goevery man unto his 8 place. Many were called, but few were chosen. 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 only those three hundred men and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

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And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand; of which I will now give thee another 10 sign. But if thou fear to go down alone, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host; though one will be enough, 11 as it is a secret expedition: And thou shalt hear what they say, and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that [were] in the

⚫ A mountain so called in honour of Gilead their common father, or in token of their alliance with the half tribe on the other side Jordan, who possessed Gilead.

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12 host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; they were near an hundred and forty thousand, for one hundred and twenty thousand were slain at one time; and their camels [were] without number, as the sand by the 13 sea side for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, [there was] a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreameď a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread, baked in the ashes in haste, tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, the general's tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along, shattered it 14 so, that it could not be raised again. And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: [for] into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host: a far fetched interpretation, which Gideon would not have discovered, had it not been for this explanation; but it showed the fear and terror of the Midianites, and strengthened Gideon's faith: it gave him no offence to be compared to a barley cake, when he heard what he was to do. 15 And it was [so,] when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, bowed down in thankful acknowledgment of the goodness of God, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise, without fear or delay; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

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And he divided the three hundred men [into] three companies, to make as great a show as he could, and to attack them in several places at once; and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, (Josephus says, rams' horns) with empty pitchers, and lamps, or torches, within the pitchers, to conceal them from the 17 enemy. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, 13 it shall be [that,] as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with ye the a trumpet, I and all that [are] with me, then blow trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, [The sword] of the LORD, and of Gideon. God was to be named first, to show that their dependence was upon him; and Gideon only mentioned as his instrument, and because his name was ter19 rible to the enemy. So Gideon, and the hundred men that [were] with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, about midnight; and they had but newly set the watch and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that [were] in their hands, perhaps one 20 against another. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow [withal ] and 21 they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, that

is, Gideon's three companies, breaking their pitchers, waving their torches, blowing their trumpets, and shouting; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled, supposing themselves surrounded with a vast army, and that even when they were in the 22 camp. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host, in their confusion and terror they fell upon one another; and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, [and] to the bor23 der of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel had gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and, lying ready for the event, they pursued after the Midianites.

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And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbahrah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbahrah and Jordan. Though he and his three hundred men routed their enemies, yet the assist25 ance of others was needful to complete the victory. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; these names signify, the raven and the wolf; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; the rock and the winepress were called after their names; and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan, after he had passed over.

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REFLECTIONS.

E see how careful God is to hide pride from man. He knows the pride of man's heart, and conducts his deliverances in such a manner, as to show his own hand. He will not give his glory to another. None shall say, My own hand hath saved me; all is of grace, and the design of all is, that he who glorieth may glory in the Lord.

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2. We have here another instance by what weak instruments God often chooses to bring about his purposes, and therefore must not despise the day of small things. It is all one to him to work by few as by many. So he did in planting the gospel, as was foretold in allusion to this story, Isa. ix. 4, 5. God often weakens the strength of his church even at this day, to show that he can do without the help of those whom men are ready to think most mighty. And both these reflections are included in what the apostle says concerning the christian ministry, 2 Cor. iv. 7. in which, some think, he alludes to this story: We have this treasure, this light, in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of men.

3. Learn from the terrible alarm of the Midianites, the confusion of the last awful day; it shall come suddenly, as a thief in the night, when men are not aware. What terror and astonishment shall take hold of them, when the archangel shall blow the trumpet, when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat; when the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout; with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God! May we prepare for that time, and give diligence to be found of him in peace; that when Christ shall appear, we may stand before him with joy, and not be afraid at his coming.

CHAP. VIII.

In this chapter Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites; is unkindly treated by the men of Succoth, whom he afterward punished; he slays the two kings of Midian; and makes an ephod, which has a very bad effect; the chapter concludes with an account of his death, and Israel's ingratitude both to God and him.

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ND the men of Ephraim, who were proud and vain, be-,

ark among them, said unto him, to Gideon, when they brought him the heads of the two kings, (ch. vii. 25.) Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And, instead of congratulating him, and returning him thanks, they did chide with him sharply. 2 And he, knowing their pride and high spirit, gave them a soft and mild answer, and said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? you have been active in the work, while I and my men only stood by, and saw the Midianites fall upon one another. [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim, your pursuit of the flying forces, and taking two of their kings, better than the vintage of Abiezer, of more consequence than 3 the whole work done by me and my house? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

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And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them ;] not one of them was lost, but they were greatly fatigued by the length of the march. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they [be] faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian; an important work in

This was a city in the tribe of Gad and was called Succoth, from Jacob's dwelling a booths there when he came from Mesopotamia.

which all Israel should join. And the princes of Succoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? Art thou sure of victory with thy three hundred men against fifteen thousand? Overlooking the hand of God in this event, they would not expose themselves to the resentment of the Midianites by assisting Gideon the answer was insolent and the taunt bitter. And Gideon said, Therefore, since you refuse my reasonable request, and treat me with such insolence, I declare that when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, which I am confident he will do, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel, (so called by Jacob, because he there wrestled with an angel,) and spake unto them likewise and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered [him.] They were probably idolaters, and hated Gid♦ con for his zeal to promote reformation. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower; confidence in which made them so proud and presumptuous.

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Now Zebah and Zalmunna [were] in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand [men,] all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword, were 11 expert and exercised in war. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host for the host was secure; he took a compass, and fell on them when they did not expect it ; 12 they thought he was tired, and themselves in no danger. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and dis comfited all the host during the night.

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And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [was up,] and came very early in the morning to Suc14 coth. And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, [even] threescore and seven15 teen men. And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men [that are] weary? He repeats their own words, to show them the folly of their speech, and to reproach them for their ill usage of him. 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. He did not put them to death, but whipped or tore them with thorns; a necessary piece of discipline, and all little enough to teach and awaken men who had lost not only piety but humanity

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