EXPOSITION. ing," i. e. returnin~ in haste. The sense of CHAPTER VII. " early" expressea in the A. V. does not Ver. 1.-J'erubbaal. The mention of this seem to be any part of the meaning of the name seems intended to keep before our word. See Dent. xx. 8 for the form of the minds that it is emphatically the servant of proclamation. From Mollllt Gilead. These the Lord who is going forth to victory. The words cannot be explained with certainty. well of He.rod, i. e. of tremlJling, so called, The conjectures are-1. That there may have no doubt, from the incident recorded in ver. been a Mount Gilead on the western side of 3, that every one who was afra~d (Hebrew, Jordan, on which Gideon's army was en- hared) departed from Mount Gilead. The camped, though it is not elsewhere men- well of Harod is not mentioned elsewhere, tioned. 2. That Gilead is a transcriber's though two of David's mighty men are error for Gilboa, which only differs by one called Harodites (2 Sam. xxiii. 25); but it is letter in Hebrew. It is pretty certain that thought to be identical with "the fountain Gideon was encamped on Mount Gilboa. which is in Jezreel" (1 Sam. xxix. l), on the 3. That the phrase was the formula used by elope of Mount Gilboa, e.nd now called Ain the whole tribe of :Manasseh, on the west as Jahlood, the spring of Goliah. On the north well as on the east of Jordan, although pro- side, &c. Gideon and his Abi-ezrites were perly applying only to those on the east. 4. naturally on the south side of the pie.in, on Some (reading maker, in haste, for mehar, the hill, apparently Mount Gilboe., which from the mount) render "let him return in there shuts in the plain. The Midianite host haste to Gilead," i. e. to his home. was encamped to the north of him (so it is Vers. 5, 6.-The water, viz., of the well or in the Hebrew), in the valley, i. e. the plain spring of Harod. That le.ppeth, &c. It of Jezreel (eh. vi. 33, note). By the hill of showed e. much more soldierly and self- l'lloreh. Nowhere else mentioned ; probably controlled spirit just to quench the thirst by only e. hillock, of which there are me.ny in lapping the water out of the palm of the that part of the plain. hand, than to kneel down e.nd drink without Ver. 2.-And the Lord said, &c. It must stint out of the spring itsP.lf. The Lord saw be remembered that this whole movement the difference of character indicated by the was essentially a religious one. It began two actions, and chose his instruments llC• with prayer (eh. vi. 6, 7), it was follc,wed up cordingly. by repentance (eh. vi. 27, 28), e.nd the great Ver. 7. -By the three hlllldred, &c. purpose of it was to turn the hearts of the Compare the so.yin/! of J onathe.n, "There is nation back to the God of their fathers. no restraint to the Lord to save by many or The Lord himself, therefore, graciously for- by few" (1 Se.m. xiv. 6). The same principles warded this end by me.king it plain that the which run through the choice of God's instru- deliverance from their oppression was his ments on other occasions appear here. The work, and his only. For the general senti- instruments are to be such in quality or in ment compare Deut. viii. 10-18 ; Ps. xliv. quantity as to make it quite manifest that 3-8 ; Zech. iiL 6, &c. the excellency of the power is God's, not Ver. 3. - Depart early. The Hebrew man's ; and yet the instruments themselves word so rendered only occurs here. Its a.re to be conspicuous for their rare excel- exact meaning is uncertain, but the old lenc~. The shepherd boy who sat on the versions generally give the meaning of " de- throne of Israel was manifestly made to sit part," "go back." Some, with much proba- on that throne by the appointment of God; bility, connect the word with the Hebrew but what a ruler, what a noble character for a spurow, and give the seD..!'11 of "tly• David was I It has e.lwa.ys been deemed on• 74 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [oa. vu. 1-8
of the proofs of the Divine origin of Christi- self-indulgence in the matter of the wnter anit~, that its inpostles were men of such wa~ a trne in~ex of the unequalled qunlities humble station, and yet were able to change which they displayed in the sequel. the whole religion and morality of the world; Ver S.-So the people took, &c. It is and yet what noble stuff Peter and John and almost certain that the passage ought to be Paul were made of! And so here the over- rendered, " And they took the victuals of the tLrow of the hosts of Midian by three }?eople iu their hands, and their trumpets," hundred Israelites was manifestly the effect i. e. the three hundred took or borrowed of the power of God fighting on their behalf. what provisions they needed for a few days, But yet what mnr'l"ellous heroism WltS there and the trun1pets, which were to play an in those three hundred! what strength of important part in the stratagem, from the purpose, what iron-firmness of nerve, to see people who were about to return to their "bo'l"e t liirty thousand of their comrades homes. And the host of Midie.n, &c. The' lea"<"e them in the face of the myriads of writer repeats this to give a perfect picturl' their foes ; to remain quietly at their post, of the situation. The whole army returned and, when the time came, to leave their camp to their homes ; the three hundred alone and pour down into the plain. Their self- with Gideon in the camp; the Midianite host possession and self-restraint and absence of in the plain beneath.