Gideon's Men Break Their Pitchers and Blow Trumpetsby sanjalberts
7:21Judges 7:21
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
Gideon's three hundred stood every man in his assigned place round about the sleeping camp by night with trumpet and torch hidden in a pitcher, and at the signal sounded, broke the pitchers, lifted the torches and shouted, so that the awakened host believed itself surrounded by an overwhelming force and ran and cried and fled in confusion, mistaking and slaying one another. It was the deliverance from seven years of Midianite oppression that had come because Israel did evil and lost God's protection, until in distress they confessed their sins. The victory prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed God's special directions, proving that the Lord delivers by simple means rather than human strength or skill. The glory belonged to God and not to man, showing that He exalts Himself by using humble workers and weak instruments when with humility, faith and obedience they follow His direction and unite human effort with His help. God Himself put the armies to flight with supernatural terror, stretching out His hand to wither the oppressor by the same divine power that overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea and in one night laid low the proud Assyrian.
Historical Setting and Battle
The verse belongs to one of the repeated deliverances in the time of the judges, when Israel forsook the Lord for idols and was separated from God and lost His strength and was brought into subjection to nations it might have subdued. In that time God raised up faithful and valiant men to put down idolatry and deliver the people from their enemies, while a remnant remained true to Jehovah. After the deliverer died the people returned to their idols, repeating a cycle of backsliding and chastisement followed by confession and deliverance.
The specific deliverance here was from the Midianites after seven years of oppression that came because Israel did evil and the protecting hand of God was withdrawn. Midian with the Amalekites and the peoples of the eastern desert swarmed over the whole land in multitude like locusts, stripped the harvests, and forced Israel into walled towns, fortresses, caves and mountain strongholds. In distress Israel heeded reproof and confessed their sins.
The verse describes a night attack by Gideon's three hundred from the hill overlooking the valley camp of Midian, Amalek and the eastern peoples, divided into three companies approaching from different directions. Every man stood in his place round about the camp holding a trumpet and a torch hidden in an earthen pitcher, and at the signal sounded the trumpets, broke the pitchers, displayed the blazing torches, and rushed forward with a battle cry ascribing the sword to the Lord and to Gideon. The attack struck at an hour when the enemy least expected danger, so that surprise brought a rout.
Each man held his assigned position around the camp while the sleeping host awoke to lights on every side with trumpet blasts and shouting in every direction. Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming force, the whole host became panic-stricken and ran and cried out and fled for life in confusion. In that confusion they mistook companions for enemies and slew one another after the trumpets sounded and the pitchers were broken.
The flight led to a general pursuit in which dismissed Israelites returned to join, Ephraim seized the southern fords of the Jordan, and Gideon crossed over faint yet pursuing. The remaining fifteen thousand under Zebah and Zalmunna were scattered and captured and put to death, and not less than one hundred twenty thousand invaders perished. Midianite power was broken so that they never again made war on Israel, proving God could deliver by few as by many through simple means.
Divine Deliverance and Lessons
Gideon's three hundred prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed the special directions of God, holding their positions around the Midianite camp while the host panicked, cried out, and fled after the trumpets sounded and the pitchers were broken. The victory came through the Lord's deliverance by simple means rather than human strength or skill, teaching dependence on God, for it was God's power and wisdom and not human strength or skill that brought the deliverance. The victory was credited to God and not to man, so that no person could claim the glory. It illustrates that God can use simple means and humble workers, so people are not to seek glory for themselves but the Lord is to be exalted, while the men stood in their assigned places around the camp and the enemy host panicked, cried out, and fled.
God made the trumpet blast of the small band effective in overthrowing the Midianites, and He can accomplish great things through weak instruments when they follow His direction with humility and faith. Success depends on God's help working with human effort, and faith and obedience are essential in spiritual struggle and spiritual warfare as well as in earthly battles. The standing of the three hundred in their places as the Midianite army fled came through faith in God, in contrast to Saul who felt alone and defenseless because God had forsaken him.
The running and fleeing of the whole host shows God Himself putting the armies of Midian to flight with supernatural terror. It was a manifestation of divine power stretching out His hand to wither the power of the oppressor, the same power that overthrew the hosts of Pharaoh in the Red Sea and in one night laid low the forces of the proud Assyrian and twice made vast armies of brave, trained crusaders break and flee without a blow before the small Hussite nation. The account rebukes faithlessness and narrowness of view and teaches that making narrow plans results in very little accomplished.
Gideon's three hundred stood every man in his assigned place round about the sleeping camp by night with trumpet and torch hidden in a pitcher, and at the signal sounded, broke the pitchers, lifted the torches and shouted, so that the awakened host believed itself surrounded by an overwhelming force and ran and cried and fled in confusion, mistaking and slaying one another. It was the deliverance from seven years of Midianite oppression that had come because Israel did evil and lost God's protection, until in distress they confessed their sins. The victory prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed God's special directions, proving that the Lord delivers by simple means rather than human strength or skill. The glory belonged to God and not to man, showing that He exalts Himself by using humble workers and weak instruments when with humility, faith and obedience they follow His direction and unite human effort with His help. God Himself put the armies to flight with supernatural terror, stretching out His hand to wither the oppressor by the same divine power that overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea and in one night laid low the proud Assyrian.
Historical Setting and Battle
The verse belongs to one of the repeated deliverances in the time of the judges, when Israel forsook the Lord for idols and was separated from God and lost His strength and was brought into subjection to nations it might have subdued. In that time God raised up faithful and valiant men to put down idolatry and deliver the people from their enemies, while a remnant remained true to Jehovah. After the deliverer died the people returned to their idols, repeating a cycle of backsliding and chastisement followed by confession and deliverance.
The specific deliverance here was from the Midianites after seven years of oppression that came because Israel did evil and the protecting hand of God was withdrawn. Midian with the Amalekites and the peoples of the eastern desert swarmed over the whole land in multitude like locusts, stripped the harvests, and forced Israel into walled towns, fortresses, caves and mountain strongholds. In distress Israel heeded reproof and confessed their sins.
The verse describes a night attack by Gideon's three hundred from the hill overlooking the valley camp of Midian, Amalek and the eastern peoples, divided into three companies approaching from different directions. Every man stood in his place round about the camp holding a trumpet and a torch hidden in an earthen pitcher, and at the signal sounded the trumpets, broke the pitchers, displayed the blazing torches, and rushed forward with a battle cry ascribing the sword to the Lord and to Gideon. The attack struck at an hour when the enemy least expected danger, so that surprise brought a rout.
Each man held his assigned position around the camp while the sleeping host awoke to lights on every side with trumpet blasts and shouting in every direction. Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming force, the whole host became panic-stricken and ran and cried out and fled for life in confusion. In that confusion they mistook companions for enemies and slew one another after the trumpets sounded and the pitchers were broken.
The flight led to a general pursuit in which dismissed Israelites returned to join, Ephraim seized the southern fords of the Jordan, and Gideon crossed over faint yet pursuing. The remaining fifteen thousand under Zebah and Zalmunna were scattered and captured and put to death, and not less than one hundred twenty thousand invaders perished. Midianite power was broken so that they never again made war on Israel, proving God could deliver by few as by many through simple means.
Divine Deliverance and Lessons
Gideon's three hundred prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed the special directions of God, holding their positions around the Midianite camp while the host panicked, cried out, and fled after the trumpets sounded and the pitchers were broken. The victory came through the Lord's deliverance by simple means rather than human strength or skill, teaching dependence on God, for it was God's power and wisdom and not human strength or skill that brought the deliverance. The victory was credited to God and not to man, so that no person could claim the glory. It illustrates that God can use simple means and humble workers, so people are not to seek glory for themselves but the Lord is to be exalted, while the men stood in their assigned places around the camp and the enemy host panicked, cried out, and fled.
God made the trumpet blast of the small band effective in overthrowing the Midianites, and He can accomplish great things through weak instruments when they follow His direction with humility and faith. Success depends on God's help working with human effort, and faith and obedience are essential in spiritual struggle and spiritual warfare as well as in earthly battles. The standing of the three hundred in their places as the Midianite army fled came through faith in God, in contrast to Saul who felt alone and defenseless because God had forsaken him.
The running and fleeing of the whole host shows God Himself putting the armies of Midian to flight with supernatural terror. It was a manifestation of divine power stretching out His hand to wither the power of the oppressor, the same power that overthrew the hosts of Pharaoh in the Red Sea and in one night laid low the forces of the proud Assyrian and twice made vast armies of brave, trained crusaders break and flee without a blow before the small Hussite nation. The account rebukes faithlessness and narrowness of view and teaches that making narrow plans results in very little accomplished.