Judges 7:21

21 They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled.

Judges 7:21 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 7:21

And they stood every man in his place around the camp
To see the salvation of God, and that it might most clearly appear to be his own doing; and indeed, had they gone into it, they could have done nothing; they had no weapons in their hands, a trumpet in one hand, and a lamp in the other; though this their position served to increase the terror of the enemy, who might suppose that they stood either to light and introduce a large army at the back of them; or to light the forces already in the midst of them, while they destroyed them; which latter seems rather to be the thing their imaginations were possessed with, since they fell to slaying their fellows, supposing them to be enemies, as in the following verse:

and all the host ran, and cried, and fled;
or "were broken" ^F12; as some render the first word, their lines were broken; they could not put themselves in rank and file, but were thrown into the utmost confusion; and cried as being in the utmost danger of their lives, and fled for their safety as fast, as they could; see ( Isaiah 27:13 ) ( Hebrews 6:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Uwr) "confracta", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.

Judges 7:21 In-Context

19 Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried.

20 All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, "A sword for God and for Gideon!"

21 They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled.

22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, God aimed each Midianite's sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives - to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

23 Israelites rallied from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all over Manasseh. They had Midian on the run.