c As if they had only been Torch-bearers to the ſevera! Compa- AICS. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and * the LORD let every mans ſword againft his fellow 4, x 1; . cven throughout ail the hoſt : and the hoſt fled to Beth- | hroughout ail ſt t was thittah [| iu Zererath, and to the + border of Abel-me- || Or, «. holah e, unto Tabbath. Wards, a They flew one another, either becauſe they ſuſpe&ed Treachery, | Heb, aid ſo fell upon thoſe they firſt mer with 3 which they might more "afily do, becauſe they conſiſted of ſeveral Nations, as may be ga- tiered from Judges 6: 3. and Joſephus affirms 3 or becauſe the dark- eſs of rhz night made them unable to diſtinguiſh Friends from Foes; or, becauſe rhe ſuddeneſs of the thing ſtruck them with Horror,and Amazem<cnt; or, becauſe God infatuated them, as he hath done many others. Compare 1 S$am- 145 20. 2 Chron: 20: 23. e Of which ive I Kings 4: 12. and 198 16.
23 And the men of Iſrael gathered themſelves toge= cher out of Naphtali, and out of Aſher, and out of all Manaſſeh, and purſued after the Midianites,
24 T And Gideon ſent meſſengers throughout all mount Ephraim, ſaying, Come down againſt the Midi- anites,and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah f, and Jordan g. Then all the men of Ephraim gathe- red themſelves together, and took the waters unto Beth- barah and Jordan.
f i, e- The paſſes over thoſe Waters to which they are like to come. g The Foords of Jordan, which River they muſt paſs over into their own Countrey.
25 And they took * two princes of the Midianites, , Pla Oreb and Zeeb : and they ſlew Oreb upon the rock 82. a Oreb, and Zzeb they flew at the wine-preſs of Zeeb, Iz 10%, and purſued Midian,and brought the heads of Oreb and
Leeb to Gideon on the other ſide Jordan h.
h For Gideon in the purſuit had paſſed over Jordan, as we read Judges 8: 4. which though mentiened after this; may ſeem to have been done before it, ſuch tranſpoſitions being frequent in Sacred Story. Or, on this ſide Jordan, for the Hebrew word is indifferent to both ſides, fee Gen: 50: 10. And fo this is oppoſed to what follows of _ paſſing over Jordan, Judges 8:4-And then there is no anticipatie on here.
CHAP. VIIL
The Epraimites are diſpleaſed with Gideon: He ſatisfies them, 1 === 3: He purſuerh two Kings of the Midianites beyond Jordans Where Succoth and Penuel refuſe to relieve Gideon's Army : The King being taken by Him: In his Return he puniſheth theſe of Succoth and Penuel, 43 17, He revengeth his Brethrens Death on the two Kings, 18 —— 21. He refuſech Govern» ment, 22, 23. Demandeth a preſent of the Spoil, and thereof makes an Ephed : Places it in Ophrah% It is 4 caule of Idolatry, 2 4 —-—= 27. Gi- deon's Children, Wives, Death, and Burial, 30 32» Iſrael revalts zo Idolatry © 1s wngrateful t0 Gideon's Family, 35 —a= 35.
And
:
Chap. Viu,
ſpirit
* fee 1 Sam 25+ I
7 Hel
threſh,
|: Or, bundred and twe thouſan, every on drawiny
ſword,
* Pal: $3: ty; 7 Heb: Th "1h, ? a,
7 {[cb,
Wit,
fo )
2 lih,
+020
Nd the men of Ephraim ſaid unto him, * Why haſt
thou ſerved us thus, that thou calledſt us not
s when thou weateſt to fight with the Midianites? and they did chide with him # ſharply. :
a Why haſt thou negle&ed anddeſpiſed us, in not calling us 1n to thy help, as thou didſt other Tribes? Theſ? were a proud People, Iſa: 1': 13- puff:d up with a conceit of their Number and Strength, and the preference which Jacob by Divine direQion gave them above Manaſſ:h, Gen: 48: 19, 20+ of which Tribe Gideon was, who by this a& had ſeemed to advance his own Tribe, and to depreſs theirs.
2 And he ſaid unto them, What have I done now 1n compariſon of you b ? is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim « better than the vintage of Abiezer 4? _
b What was done, was done by God's immediate hand, making them one to kill another; what I have done in cutting off ſome of the Fugitive common Soldiers, is not to be compared with your Exploit in deſtroying their Princes; I began the War, but you have finiſhed. c What you have gleaned or done after me, d i- e. Of the Abiezrites, to whom he modeſtly communicateth the honour of the Victory, and doth not arrogate it 2 himſelf, as Generals com- monly do. . ; :
God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian,Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do 1n compariſon of you? then their + anger was abated to- ward him, when he had ſaid thar e.
e His ſofc and humble Anſwer allayed their Rage and Envy 3 ſee Prov: 157 Ie and 25:15»
4 4 And Gideon came to Jordan, nd paſſed over f, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet purſuing them.
f Or, had paſſed over. When he paſſed over ; ſee on Judg: 7: 25.
5 And he ſent unto the men of Succorh g, Give, I pray vou, loaves of bread unco the people that follow me, for they be faint, and I am purſuing after Zeba and Zalmunna, kings of Midian 4,
g A place beyond Jordan, Gen: 33; 17» Joſe 13: 27. Pſal. 60; 8* bh Where before this tune were five Kings at once, N:mb: 31: 8. who eicher Reigned ſeparately in divers parts of the Land; or Governed by common Couilſel and Conſent ; as ſometunes there were two or three Roman Emperors togethers
6 © And the princesot Succorh ſaid, Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna row in thine hand 2, that * we ſhould give bread unco thine army ?
; Art thou ſo foolith, to think with thy 309 feint and weary, Soldiers, to conquer and deſtroy an Hoſt of r;000 Men?
7 And Gideon ſaid, Therefore when tne LORD hath delivered Zeba and Zalmunna into mine banda, I will + tear your fleſh with the thorns of the Wildernels &,
* Heb. what thing is this £{0% hoft done unt2 Hs.
+ Heb. fronglys
+ Heb; iris n
* See 1 Sam: 255 10»
T Heb:
threſh,
Juſtice; partly, that the Death of thoſe miſchievous perſons mighe
G84: JS He told him their Names and Qualities. | 15 And hecame unto the men of Succoth, and faid, Behold Zeba and Zalmunna, with whom ye did up- braid me, ſaying, Are the-hands of Zeba and Zalmun-
na now in thine hand, that we ſhould give bread unto thy men that are weary ? ES hy
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderneſs, and briers, and with them he + taught + Heb: the men of Succoth xz. | made to
t By that ſevere puniſhment, ( of which wv. 7. ) he made the men ©10W- 1» e. the Elders of Succo;h, to know their Sin and Folly,though it was
too late for their good, but not for the inſtruftion and warning of others.