Judges 7:11 - Gideon's Dream

and listen to what they are saying.
This phrase highlights the importance of divine guidance and assurance. Gideon is instructed to listen to the Midianites, which suggests that God often uses unexpected sources to confirm His plans. In the biblical context, listening is a recurring theme, emphasizing obedience and discernment. This moment foreshadows the fulfillment of God's promise to deliver Israel, as Gideon will hear something that strengthens his resolve. It also reflects the broader biblical principle that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17).

Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.”
The strengthening of hands is a metaphor for courage and readiness. In ancient warfare, physical and moral strength were crucial for victory. This assurance from God is a direct encouragement to Gideon, who previously expressed fear and doubt. The phrase connects to other biblical instances where God strengthens His people, such as Joshua before entering the Promised Land (Joshua 1:9). It underscores the theme of divine empowerment, where God equips those He calls to fulfill His purposes.

So he went with Purah his servant
Gideon's decision to take Purah reflects the cultural practice of having a trusted servant accompany a leader. This companionship provides both practical support and a witness to God's unfolding plan. The presence of Purah also highlights the theme of community and shared mission in God's work. In a broader biblical context, it mirrors the concept of discipleship and mentorship, as seen in relationships like Moses and Joshua or Paul and Timothy.

to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
The mention of outposts and armed men provides a glimpse into the military strategies of the time. Outposts were critical for surveillance and defense, indicating the Midianites' preparedness and the challenge Gideon faced. This setting emphasizes the miraculous nature of Israel's eventual victory, as it was achieved not by might but by divine intervention. The scenario also parallels other biblical narratives where God's people face overwhelming odds, such as David against Goliath (1 Samuel 17) or the Israelites at Jericho (Joshua 6), reinforcing the theme of God's sovereignty in battle.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Gideon
A judge of Israel chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. He is known for his initial hesitance and need for reassurance from God.

2. Purah
Gideon's servant who accompanies him to the Midianite camp. His presence provides Gideon with companionship and support during a critical moment of fear and uncertainty.

3. Midianite Camp
The encampment of the Midianite army, which was vast and intimidating to the Israelites. It represents the overwhelming challenge that Gideon and his reduced army faced.

4. God's Assurance
The event where God instructs Gideon to go down to the Midianite camp to hear something that will strengthen his resolve and faith.

Teaching Points

God's Patience with Our Doubts
God understands our human frailty and is patient with our doubts, as seen in His repeated reassurances to Gideon.

The Importance of Obedience
Gideon's willingness to follow God's instructions, even when afraid, demonstrates the importance of obedience in faith.

God's Sovereignty in Our Battles
The account illustrates that victory comes not by human strength but by God's power and plan.

Encouragement through Community
Gideon's relationship with Purah shows the value of having supportive companions in our spiritual journey.

Listening for God's Voice
Just as Gideon listened to the Midianite's dream, we must be attentive to how God speaks to us, often in unexpected ways.

(11)And thou shalt hear what they say.--This was the kind of omen known by the Jews as the Bath Kol, or "Daughter of a Voice." For a similar instance see 1Samuel 14:6 (Jonathan and his armour-bearer). The word is used in slightly different senses. Sometimes it means a voice from heaven (Matthew 3:17, &c): such voices from heaven are described in the Talmud; sometimes it means the first chance words which a man hears after being bidden to look out for them as a Divine intimation; sometimes it means an actual echo (see Hamburger's Talmud. W?rterb., s.5).

It was one of the four recognised modes of Divine direction (viz., prophets, dreams, Urim, and the Bath Kol, 1Samuel 28:6-15), but stood lowest of the four. It was also known to the Greeks, among whom the oracle sometimes bade a man to take as his answer the first casual words which he heard spoken on leaving the Temple.

The armed men.--Literally, ranks by, five, the word (chamooshim) rendered "harnessed" in Exodus 13:18, "armed" in Joshua 1:14. Probably here the word means "foreposts," or "sentries"; and the Vulgate renders it "vigiliae." The LXX. curiously render it "to the beginning," (or in other MSS.) "to part of the fifty," following a wrong punctuation. . . .

Verse 11. - The armed men. The exact meaning of the word here rendered armed men (chamushim), and which occurs Exodus 13:18; Joshua 1:14; Joshua 4:12, is a little uncertain, but it is generally thought to be synonymous with another word (calutsim), also rendered armed (Numbers 32:32; Deuteronomy 3:18), and to mean literally girded, i.e. prepared to fight. These fighting men, as distinguished from the numbers of the nomads who were with their camels and cattle scattered all along the plain, were all collected in the camp, to the edge of which Gideon and Phurah crept stealthily in the dark. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

and listen
וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ (wə·šā·ma‘·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to what
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

they are saying.
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ (yə·ḏab·bê·rū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

Then
וְאַחַר֙ (wə·’a·ḥar)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

your hands
יָדֶ֔יךָ (yā·ḏe·ḵā)
Noun - fdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

will be strengthened
תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה (te·ḥĕ·zaq·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

to attack
וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ (wə·yā·raḏ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

the camp.”
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה (bam·ma·ḥă·neh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

So he
הוּא֙ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

went
וַיֵּ֤רֶד (way·yê·reḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

with Purah
וּפֻרָ֣ה (ū·p̄u·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6513: Purah -- a servant of Gideon

his servant
נַעֲר֔וֹ (na·‘ă·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the outposts
קְצֵ֥ה (qə·ṣêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7097: End, extremity

where armed men
הַחֲמֻשִׁ֖ים (ha·ḥă·mu·šîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 2571: Staunch, able-bodied soldiers

were [guarding]
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the camp.
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (bam·ma·ḥă·neh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

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