Judges 7:22
When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights how God uses confusion and terror to turn enemies against themselves, causing them to fight each other. This wasn't just accidental chaos; the text emphasizes it was "the LORD" who orchestrated this self-destruction, a powerful reminder that God can defeat His enemies without a single Israelite soldier lifting a sword.
Gideon's cunning plan to defeat the massive Midianite army is now in full swing, with his 300 men surrounding the enemy camp, blowing trumpets, and shattering pitchers to create chaos. This verse describes the terrifying result: in the darkness and confusion, the Midianites are thrown into such panic and disarray that they turn on each other, a supernatural confusion orchestrated by the Lord, causing them to flee in every direction.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of the God of Israel, YHWH. It signifies His self-existence, eternal nature, and His faithfulness to His redemptive promises.
shofar · Hebrew Noun
A metal wind instrument, often made from a ram’s horn (shofar) or hammered metal, used for signaling, worship, and declaring the presence of God or military action in Israel.
ish · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting a male member of a military force, or more broadly, an individual male. In a covenantal context, it emphasizes the responsibility and role of the individual before God.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
An instrument of war used for killing; biblically, it often represents judgment, warfare, and the execution of God's will against His enemies.
This passage describes a similar miraculous victory where God caused enemies fighting against Judah to turn their swords against each other in confusion, mirroring the chaos that befell the Midianites.
1 Samuel 14:20During Jonathan's raid, the Philistine army fell into such disarray and panic that they began to fight and kill one another, much like the Midianites in this account.
1 Kings 19:16The flight of the Midianites ends near Abel-meholah, which is identified as the hometown of the prophet Elisha. This subtly connects a miraculous military victory with the calling of a major prophet who would also perform significant acts in God's name.
Psalm 83:11-12This psalm recounts a prayer for God to deal with enemies similarly to how He dealt with them at Endor and with Sisera, and it includes the idea of their nobles being made like Oreb and Zeeb, the very chieftains Gideon defeated, suggesting a shared pattern of divine judgment.
2 Corinthians 4:7While not a direct event parallel, Henry's commentary alludes to this passage, drawing a connection between God using 'earthen vessels' (like Gideon's seemingly insignificant army with trumpets and torches) to bring about His purposes, echoing the surprising strategy used here.
jfbJudges 7:16-24: "And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers."
Jud 7:16-24. His Stratagem against Midian.16-22. he divided the three hundred men into three companies—The object of dividing his forces was, that they might seem to be surrounding the enemy. The pitchers were empty to conceal the torches, and made of earthenware, so as to be easily broken; and the sudden blaze of the held-up…
clarkeJudges 7:22: "And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath."
Fled to Beth-shittah - This is no where else mentioned in Scripture. Zererath - This and Tabbath are nowhere else to be found. Abel-meholah - This was the birth-place of the prophet Elisha, 1 Kings 19:16. It was beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Manasseh, 1 Kings 4:1…
The verse highlights how God uses confusion and terror to turn enemies against themselves, causing them to fight each other. This wasn't just accidental chaos; the text emphasizes it was "the LORD" who orchestrated this self-destruction, a powerful reminder that God can defeat His enemies without a single Israelite soldier lifting a sword.
Gideon's cunning plan to defeat the massive Midianite army is now in full swing, with his 300 men surrounding the enemy camp, blowing trumpets, and shattering pitchers to create chaos. This verse describes the terrifying result: in the darkness and confusion, the Midianites are thrown into such panic and disarray that they turn on each other, a supernatural confusion orchestrated by the Lord, causing them to flee in every direction.
Gideon's cunning plan to defeat the massive Midianite army is now in full swing, with his 300 men surrounding the enemy camp, blowing trumpets, and shattering pitchers to create chaos. This verse describes the terrifying result: in the darkness and confusion, the Midianites are thrown into such panic and disarray that they turn on each other, a supernatural confusion orchestrated by the Lord, causing them to flee in every direction.
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"When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath." — The verse highlights how God uses confusion and terror to turn enemies against themselves, causing them to fight each other. This wasn't just accidental chaos; the text emphasizes it was "the LORD" w…
