Then the LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.' The LORD said to GideonThis phrase introduces the divine communication between God and Gideon, emphasizing the direct involvement of God in the events that follow. The Hebrew name for God used here is "Yahweh," which signifies the covenantal relationship between God and His people. This direct address underscores the personal nature of God's guidance and His sovereign authority over Israel's deliverance. Historically, this reflects the period of the Judges, a time when Israel was often led by individuals raised by God to deliver them from oppression. You have too many men
This statement is pivotal as it challenges conventional military strategy. The Hebrew word for "men" here is "ʾanashim," which can refer to warriors or soldiers. God's declaration that Gideon has "too many" highlights a divine principle: victory is not dependent on human strength or numbers but on God's power. This sets the stage for a miraculous deliverance that would unmistakably be attributed to God alone, not human might. for Me to deliver Midian into their hands
The phrase "for Me to deliver" indicates God's active role in the forthcoming victory. The Hebrew root "natan" (to give or deliver) is used here, emphasizing that the outcome is a gift from God, not a result of human effort. The Midianites were a nomadic people who oppressed Israel, and their defeat would demonstrate God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. This context reminds believers of God's sovereignty and His ability to deliver His people from seemingly insurmountable odds. Israel might boast against Me
Here, the potential for Israel's pride is addressed. The Hebrew word "pa'ar" (to boast or glorify) is used, warning against the human tendency to take credit for divine acts. This phrase serves as a caution against self-reliance and pride, which can lead to spiritual downfall. It underscores the importance of humility and recognition of God's hand in all victories. saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
This concluding phrase highlights the danger of attributing success to oneself rather than to God. The Hebrew word "yad" (hand) symbolizes strength and capability. By warning against the claim "My own hand has saved me," God is teaching Israel—and by extension, all believers—that true salvation and deliverance come from Him alone. This serves as a timeless reminder of the need for faith and dependence on God, rather than on human strength or wisdom. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORDThe covenant-keeping God of Israel, who communicates directly with Gideon, guiding him in the battle against the Midianites. 2. GideonA judge of Israel chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. Known for his initial hesitance and need for reassurance from God. 3. MidianitesA nomadic people who oppressed Israel, leading to the Israelites' cry for deliverance. They are the enemy in this account. 4. IsraelThe chosen people of God, who are in a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance during the time of the Judges. 5. The BattleThe impending conflict between the Israelites, led by Gideon, and the Midianites, which God intends to use to demonstrate His power and deliverance. Teaching Points Dependence on GodGod desires His people to rely on Him rather than their own strength or resources. This teaches us to trust in God's provision and guidance in our lives. Humility and FaithThe reduction of Gideon's army is a call to humility and faith, reminding us that God's ways are higher than ours and that He often works through our weaknesses. God's GloryThe primary purpose of God's actions is His glory. We are reminded to give credit to God for our victories and successes, acknowledging His hand in our lives. Divine StrategyGod's plans may not align with human logic, but they are always perfect. We are encouraged to seek His wisdom and follow His lead, even when it seems counterintuitive. Bible Study Questions 1. How does God's instruction to reduce the number of Gideon's men challenge our understanding of strength and victory? 2. In what ways can we identify areas in our lives where we might be tempted to boast in our own strength rather than relying on God? 3. How does the account of Gideon and the Midianites encourage us to trust in God's plans, even when they seem illogical or risky? 4. What are some modern-day "Midianites" or challenges that we face, and how can we apply the lessons from Gideon's account to overcome them? 5. How can we ensure that God receives the glory for the victories in our lives, and what practical steps can we take to cultivate a heart of gratitude and humility? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 8:17-18This passage warns against the pride of self-sufficiency, similar to God's warning to Gideon about Israel boasting in their own strength. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29Paul speaks of God choosing the weak things of the world to shame the strong, paralleling God's reduction of Gideon's army to demonstrate His power. Psalm 20:7This verse emphasizes trust in the name of the LORD rather than in chariots or horses, aligning with the lesson God teaches Gideon about reliance on divine power. | Mine Own Hand Hath Saved Me | A.F. Muir | Judges 7:2 | | Success not Dependent on Numbers | W.F. Adeney | Judges 7:2 | | A Sifting Among the Defenders of the Faith | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Backing Out of God's Service | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Divinely-Ordained Tests | A.F. Muir | Judges 7:1-8 | | Fit Men for the Fight | A. Maclaren, D. D. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon and the Three Hundred | J. B. Brown, B. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon's Army | Sermons by the Monday Club | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon's Army | Edward B. Mason. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon's Band | R. J. Campbell, B. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon's Three Hundred | T. Kelly. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Gideon's Three Hundred | J. McNeill. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Pride Excluded | G. A. Rogers, M. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Testing-Points in Life | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Best Work of the World Done by the Few | J. Parker, D. D. | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Reduced Army | A. Roberts, M. A. | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Revelation of Character | Christian Age | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Sifting | W. W. Duncan, M. A | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Three Hundred Men that Lapped | Canon Newbolt. | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Trial of Gideon's Army by the Proclamation | F. Elwin. | Judges 7:1-8 | | The Trial of Gideon's Army by the Water | F. Elwin. | Judges 7:1-8 | | Why Were the Fearful Dismissed | A. Maclaren, D. D. | Judges 7:1-8 |
People Abel, Amalek, Amalekites, Asher, Gideon, Israelites, Jerubbaal, Joash, Manasseh, Midianites, Naphtali, Oreb, Phurah, ZeebPlaces Abel-meholah, Beth-barah, Beth-shittah, Harod, Jordan River, Midian, Mount Gilead, Ophrah, Tabbath, ZererahTopics Beautify, Boast, Boastful, Deliver, Delivered, Gideon, Giving, Hands, Itself, Lest, Midian, Midianites, Mid'ianites, Myself, Order, Power, Pride, Salvation, Saved, Saviour, Saying, Strength, Themselves, Uplifted, VauntDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 7:1-8 5266 conscription Judges 7:2-3 5819 cowardice Library A Great victory
TEXT: "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the host ran, and cried, and fled."--Judges 7:21. Few things in this world are so inspiring to the traveler and at the same time so depressing as a city or temple in ruins. I remember a delightful experience in passing through the ruins of Karnak and Luxor, on the Nile in Egypt, and later passing through Phylae at Assuan on the Nile; and these two thoughts, each the opposite of the other, kept constantly coming to my mind. …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas IscariotAugust 18. "The Three Hundred Blew the Trumpets" (Judges vii. 22).
"The three hundred blew the trumpets" (Judges vii. 22). We little dream, sometimes, what a hasty word, a thoughtless speech, an imprudent act, or a confession of unbelief and fear may do to hinder our highest usefulness, or turn it aside from some great opportunity which God has been preparing for us. Although the Holy Ghost uses weak men, He does not want them to be weak after He chooses and calls them. Although He uses the foolish things to confound the wise, He does not want us to be foolish after …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth 'Fit, Though Few'
'Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture A Battle Without a Sword
'And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15, And it was so, when Gideon heard the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Wyclif of the East --Bible Translation
1801-1832 The Bible Carey's missionary weapon--Other vernacular translators--Carey's modest but just description of his labours--His philological key--Type-cutting and type-casting by a Hindoo blacksmith--The first manufacture of paper and steam-engines in the East--Carey takes stock of the translation work at the opening of 1808--In his workshop--A seminary of Bible translators--William Yates, shoemaker, the Coverdale of the Bengali Bible--Wenger--A Bengali Luther wanted--Carey's Bengali Bible--How …
George Smith—The Life of William Carey The New Convert.
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John Newton—Olney Hymns Whether Divination by Auguries, Omens, and by Like Observations of External Things is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination by auguries, omens, and by like observations of external things is not unlawful. If it were unlawful holy men would not make use thereof. Now we read of Joseph that he paid attention to auguries, for it is related (Gn. 44:5) that Joseph's steward said: "The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh and in which he is wont to divine [augurari]": and he himself afterwards said to his brethren (Gn. 44:15): "Know you not that there is no one …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Fear is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that fear is not a mortal sin. For, as stated above ([3323]FS, Q[23], A[1]), fear is in the irascible faculty which is a part of the sensuality. Now there is none but venial sin in the sensuality, as stated above ([3324]FS, Q[74], A[4]). Therefore fear is not a mortal sin. Objection 2: Further, every mortal sin turns the heart wholly from God. But fear does not this, for a gloss on Judges 7:3, "Whosoever is fearful," etc., says that "a man is fearful when he trembles at the …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Appendix 2 Extracts from the Babylon Talmud
Massecheth Berachoth, or Tractate on Benedictions [76] Mishnah--From what time is the "Shema" said in the evening? From the hour that the priests entered to eat of their therumah [77] until the end of the first night watch. [78] These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: Till midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the column of the morning (the dawn) rises. It happened, that his sons came back from a banquet. They said to him: "We have not said the Shema.'" He said to them, "If the column …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Immanuel
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL , God with us. T here is a signature of wisdom and power impressed upon the works of God, which evidently distinguishes them from the feeble imitations of men. Not only the splendour of the sun, but the glimmering light of the glow-worm proclaims His glory. The structure and growth of a blade of grass, are the effects of the same power which produced the fabric of the heavens and the earth. In His Word likewise He is …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his Approaching Passion.
(Galilee.) ^C Luke XII. 1-59. ^c 1 In the meantime [that is, while these things were occurring in the Pharisee's house], when the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another [in their eagerness to get near enough to Jesus to see and hear] , he began to say unto his disciples first of all [that is, as the first or most appropriate lesson], Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. [This admonition is the key to the understanding …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 7:2 NIVJudges 7:2 NLTJudges 7:2 ESVJudges 7:2 NASBJudges 7:2 KJV
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