seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Judges 7:15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 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 ####tah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 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 ####tah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
Not one Israelite fired a gun, road a chariot, or even garnished a sword..... They shouted.... They blew trumpets.... They attacked in the night.... with noise.... and God put just enough fear in the hearts of each Midianite.... God knows how to move humans.... God created humans.....
This is what the easy English site has....
God chooses what is weak. This will bring shame to what is strong. Gideon’s army had no military skill. They could only blow a trumpet and they could only break a jar. Then they shouted. Their attack came about two hours before midnight. Most of the soldiers from Midian were sleeping then. Those that had just come on duty had just woken up. The men from Midian heard the sound of the trumpets. There were shouts. And there were the sounds when the people were breaking the jars. Because of their fear, Midian’s soldiers fought against each other. They ran away to the east. They went down the valley and then they went over the Jordan river. All the towns in the list were on the other side of the river. Zererah was 10 miles south from the place where they went. Abel Meholah was 6 miles east and Tabbath was about 7 miles south-east.
Gideon called for more help. Probably many that came had been in the original group. (This was the group that consisted of 32 000 men.) The groups of Israel’s soldiers who had weapons, got ready. They captured the places where people crossed the river. They killed some leaders of the enemy’s army. Then Gideon felt confident enough to call Ephraim’s tribe for help. He asked them to control the places where people crossed the river. This would prevent the escape of Midian’s army. They killed two princes of Midian. Oreb means ‘raven’ (a large black bird with a noisy cry). Zeeb means ‘wolf’. (A wolf is a wild animal like a dog. It lives in groups and it hunts in groups.)
Gideon called for more help. Probably many that came had been in the original group. (This was the group that consisted of 32 000 men.) The groups of Israel’s soldiers who had weapons, got ready. They captured the places where people crossed the river. They killed some leaders of the enemy’s army. Then Gideon felt confident enough to call Ephraim’s tribe for help. He asked them to control the places where people crossed the river. This would prevent the escape of Midian’s army. They killed two princes of Midian. Oreb means ‘raven’ (a large black bird with a noisy cry). Zeeb means ‘wolf’. (A wolf is a wild animal like a dog. It lives in groups and it hunts in groups.)
This is from Bibletrack.org.
It's around midnight ("beginning of the middle watch") and the enemy is all bedded down for the night - big day planned for tomorrow. Suddenly the trumpets blow, the lanterns flash on from every side and they hear Gideon's troops cry out, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon." That was one confused bunch of math-challenged Midianites. In their confusion, they turned on each other with their swords. Gideon then calls for the Israelite reinforcements to come in and finish off the job. Ephraim jumps into the conflict at this point, rounding up Midianite fugitives fleeing Gideon and his army. They captured and slew two of the Midianite "princes," Oreb and Zeeb. These princes of the Midianites lost their heads - literally. I love it when a plan comes together! And God did it all with only an army of 300.
See.... weird battle....
