1 And Jerubbaal i (that is, Gideon) arose early, and all the people who were with him. And they camped by spring Harod. ii And camp of Midian was north of him by the hill of Moreh iii in the valley. 2 And Yehvah said to Gideon, “Too many are the people that are with you for me to give Midian in their hand, lest Israel boast against me saying, 'My hand saved me.' 3 And now, call please, in the ears of the people saying, 'Who is fearful and trembling? Let him return and depart from the mountain of Gilead.'” iv And from the people 22,000 returned and 10,000 remained.
4 And Yehvah said to Gideon, “Still the people are many. Bring them down to the water, and I will test him v for you there. And it shall be, when I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you. And everyone where I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go.” 5 And the people went down to the water. And Yehvah said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water just as the dog laps, you shall put him alone, and everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped in their hand to their mouth was three hundred men. And the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. 7 And Yehvah said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and I will give Midian in your hand. So, let all the people go each to his place.” 8 And all the people took in their hand provision and their horns. And he sent every man of Israel each to his tent, and he retained the three hundred men. And camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 And it was in that night, so Yehvah said to him, “Arise, go down in the camp, for I have given him in your hand.” 10 And if you are afraid to go down, you go down, and your young man Purah, vi to the camp. 11 And hear what they say. And afterwards your hands will be strong and you will go down in the camp.” And he went down, and Purah his young man, to the edge of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 And Midian and Amalek and all sons of East were lying in the valley as the locust for multitude. And for their camels, they were without number, as the sand that is upon the seashore for multitude.
13 And Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting to his friend a dream. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream. And behold, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into Midian's camp. And it came unto the tent and struck it, and it fell, and turned it upside down. So, the tent was fallen.” 14 And his friend answered and said, “This is nothing but a sword of Gideon, son of Joash, a man of Israel. The Gods, he has given in his hand Midian and all the camp.”
15 And it was, when Gideon heard the recounting of the dream and its interpretation, so he worshiped. And he returned to Israel's camp and said, “Arise, for Yehvah has given in your hand Midian's camp.” 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three heads. vii And he gave horns in hand of all of them, and empty jars, and torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look from me and do so. And behold, I will go to the edge of the armed men. And it shall be, just as I do, so you do. 18 When I blow in the horn, I and all who are with me, so you shall blow in the horns. So, you also shall blow in the horns around all the camp. And you shall say, 'To Yehvah and to Gideon!'”
19 And Gideon went, and a hundred men who were with him, at the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle night watch setting up, just as they were setting up the guards. And they blew in the horns, and shattered the jars that were in their hand. 20 And the three heads viii blew in the trumpets and broke the jars. And they held onto the torches with their left hand and in their right hand the horns to blow. And they cried out, “Yehvah's and Gidion's sword!” 21 And they stood each in his place around the camp. And all the camp ran. And they shouted and fled.
22 And the three hundred blew the horns, and Yehvah set a sword each against his friend ix and against all the camp. And the camp fled unto House of the Acacia x toward Zererah xi as far as edge of Abel Meholah xii by Tabbath. xiii 23 And men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. 24 And Gideon sent messengers in all Ephraim's mountain saying, “Come down to meet Midian and capture them at the waters as far as House of Barah xiv and the Jordan.” And every man of Ephraim was summoned, and they captured the waters as far as House of Barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured two officers xv of Midian, Raven xvi and Wolf. xvii And they killed Raven at Raven's Rock, and Wolf they killed at Wolf's Wine Vat. And they pursued Midian, and they brought Raven's and Wolf's head to Gideon from across the Jordan.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- Here the narrative, God, calls him by the same name given to him by his father, which means, “Let Baal contend.” ^
- ד רדד חר) charod) “Harod” - only here. ^
- ה( ורֹמ) moreh) “Moreh” - see footnote for Genesis 12:6. ^
- This was according the law found in Deuteronomy 20:8. ^
- נו נ ה( פ רפ צפ ה( א') etsrephennu) “I will test him” - pronominal suffix is singular masculine, thus “him” referring to the people ם עם הם) hâ`âm), which is singular masculine as well. ^
- ררםנהָפ) Purâh) “Purah” - only also in Judges 7:11. ^
- ים ד אשי רם) râshiym) “heads” = “companies” NKJV, etc.. ^
- ים אשינ רם) râshiym) “heads” = “companies” NKJV, etc.. ^
- Similar, 1 Samuel 14:20; 2 Chronicles 20:23 ^
- ה טם שי הש יית בי) bêyt hashshittâh) “House of the Acacia” - CSB “Acacia House”; NKJV, etc. “Beth Acacia” - only here. ^
- ה תם ת רם רי צפר) tserêrâtâh) “Zererah” NKJV, etc. w/locative ה) h) i.e. “towards” - only here. ^
- הה ולםֹח מפ נל בי אם') âvêl mecholâh) “ Abel Meholah” NKJV, etc. - found also in 1 Kings 4:12; 19:16. For אםבינל') âvêl) see footnote for Genesis 50:11. הה ולםֹח מפ) mecholâh) = “dancing” (e.g. Exodus 32:19). ^
- ת ר בם טש) tabbât) “Tabbath” - only here. ^
- ה ה רם בם ית בי) bêyt bârâh) “House of Barah” - only this verse. Elsewhere, ה ה רם בם) bârâh) is a verb meaning “eat” (2 Samuel 13:6). So, here possibly “House of Eating.” ^
- שםרייי) sârêy) “officers” CEB; “princes” NKJV, KJV; “leaders” NAS – this is not a specific term, context dictates. ^
- ב עדרי`) orêv) “Raven” CEV; “Oreb” NKJV, etc. - same word for “raven” e.g. Genesis 8:7; Leviticus 11:15; Job 38:41. ^
- ב אי זפ) ze'êv) “Wolf” CEV; “Zeeb” NKJV, etc. - same word for “wolf” e.g. Genesis 49:27; Isaiah 11:6; 65:25. ^
And a messenger of Yehvah came and sat under the terebinth which was in Ophrah which was Joash's the Abi-Ezrite. And Gideon his son was beating wheat in the winepress to hide from Midian. -- שָיו) yo'âsh) “Joash” NKJV, etc. - found also in Judges 6:29-31; 7:14; 8:13, 29, 32; also name of several others. See 1 Kings 22:26, etc..
And he called him in that day Jerubbaal, saying, “Let the Baal contend against him, because he tore down his altar.” -- ל ר יע ר ב הרבָי) yerubba`al) “Jerubbaal” - means “Let Baal contend” – found also in Judges 7:1; 8:29, 35; 9:1-2, 5, 16, 19, 24, 28, 57; 1 Samuel 12:11.