39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot 32. against me, and I will speak but this once; let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

CHAPTER VII.

Gideon's army of two and thirty thousand is brought to three hundred, 1. 9 He is encouraged by the dream and interpretation of the barley-cake. 16 His stratagem of trumpets and lamps in pitchers. 24 The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb.

He is sent into the enemy's camp. their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men. And the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said "Ge.46.2, unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

3.

10.

Or, ranks by five. Ex.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

f ver. 13,
11 And thou shalt fhear what
14,15.See they say; and afterward shall
Ge.24.14. thine hands be strengthened to
1Sa. 14.9, go down unto the host. Then
went he down with Phurah his
servant unto the outside of the
armed menthat were inthe host.
12 And the Midianites, and the
Amalekites, and all the children
of the east, lay along in the val
ley like grasshoppers for multi-
tude; and their camels were
without number, as the sand by
the sea-side for multitude.

THEN Jerubbaal (who is ch.6. 32. 13. 18.

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 byaunt themselves bDe.8.17. against me, saying, Mine own Is. 10. 13. hand hath saved me. 1Co.1.29, 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim 2Co. 4. 7. in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoeverisfearfulandafraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it shall be that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall gowith thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon; Everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

De.20.8.

7 And the LORD said unfo Gid-
eon, dBy the three hundred men d 1Sa. 14.
that lapped will I save you, and 6.
deliver the Midianites intothine
hand: and let all the other peo-
ple go every man unto his place.
8 So the people took victuals in

ch. 6.5, 33.&8.10.

† Heb.
the brea-
king
thereof.

↑ Heb. trumpets in the hand of all of

them.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, Idreamed 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 telling of the dream, and tthe interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put ja trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and beOr, fire-hold, when I come to the outside brands, of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall ye do.

or,
torches.

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19

So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the campin the beginningofthe middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that werein their hands.

The Midianites are put to flight.

JUDGES.
B. C.

6.

B. C.

b Ex. 14. See 1Ki
13, 14. 2 20. 11.
Ch.20.17. See 1Sa.
i2Ki. 7. 7. 25. 11.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the cir. 1249. cir. 1249. pitchers, and held the lamps in d Ge. 33. their lefthands, and the trumpets 17.Ps. 60. in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 21 And they hstood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred kblew 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 tborder of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.

ver. 16.

Jos.6.4,
16,20.See
2Co. 4. 7.
PB. 83. 9.
1Sa. 14. thresh.
20. 2 Ch.h Ge. 32.
30.1Ki.12

Is. 9. 4.

20. 23.

toward.

23 And the men of Israel gath-Or, ered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and Heb. out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

lip.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all "mount "ch. 3.27. Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah andJordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto PBeth-barah and Jordan.

25 And they took two princes of the Midianites.Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the wine-press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the "other side Jordan.

CHAPTER VIII. Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites, 1. 4 Succoth and Penuel refuse to relieve Gideon's army. 10 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. 13 Succoth and Penuel are destroyed. 17 Gideon revengeth his brethren'sdeath on Zebah and Zalmunna. 23 He refuseth gov ernment. 24 His ephod cause of idolatry. 28 Midian subdued. 29 Gideon's children, and death. 33 The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude.

ch. 3. 28. PJn.1.28.

† Heb

25.

i1 Ki. 22.

27.

k ver. 17.

Ich. 7. 12.

| Or,
an hun
dred and
twenty

ch. 8. 3.
Ps. 83.11. thou
Is.10.26.

sand, ev

Succoth and Penuel are destroyed.
5 And he said unto the men
of dSuccoth, Give, I pray you,
loaves of bread unto the people
that follow me: for they be faint.
and I am pursuing after Zebah
and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 T And the princes of Succoth
said, Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna now in thine

hand, that fwe should give bread
unto thine army?

7 And Gideon said, Therefore
when the LORD hath delivered
Zebah and Zalmunna into mine
hand, then I will tear your
flesh with the thorns of the wil-
derness and with briars.

8 T And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When 1 icome again in peace, kl will break down this tower.

10 1 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 T And Gideon went up by
the way of them that dwelt in
tents on the east of "Nobah and
Jogbehah, and smote the host:
for the host was "secure.

ery one
drawing
a sword.
ch. 20. 2.
15, 17, 25.
ch. 8. 4. 2Ki. 3. 26.
m Nu. 32.
35, 42.
13 T And Gideon the son of Jo-
nch.18.27
1Th.5.3. ash returned from battle be-
fore the sun was up,
°P8.83.11

12 And when Zebah and Zal-
munna fled, he pursued after
them, and "took the two kings of
Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna,
and fdiscomfited all the host.

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he ftaught the men of Succoth.

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one tresembled the children of a king. form,&c 19 And he said, They were my

† Heb.
accord-

ing to the

一

CHAPTER IX.
B. C.

Gideon's ephod a cause of idolatry. brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if cir. 1249. cir. 1209. ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

30 And Gideon had "threescore and ten sons tof his body begotten: for he had many wives. going 31 And his concubine that was his in Shechem, she also bare him thigh. a son, whose name he † called fch. 9. 1. Jos.24.26 32 T And Gideon the son of Jo-Heb.set. cir. 1209. ash died in a good old age, and 5Ge.25.8. iDe.11.29 was buried in the sepulchre of & 27. 12. Joash his father, hin Ophrah of cir. 1209. Jos.8. 33. the Abi-ezrites. hver. 27. Jn. 4. 20. ch. 6. 24. k See 2 ich. 2. 19. Ki. 14.9.

33 And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that the

Abimelech's vengeance.

mid, See, There come people

CHAPTER X.
B. C. B. C.

He is slain at Theber 51 But there was a strong tow

fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

down by the tmiddle of the land, cir. 1206. cir. 1206. er within the city, and thither and another company comet Heb. along by the plain of [Meonenim. navel. 38 Then said Zebul unto him, Or, the Where is now thy mouth,where- regard with thou saidst, Who is Abim-ers of the elech,that we should serve him? times. is not this the people that thou De.18.14. hast despised? go out, I pray fver. 28, now, and fight with them. 39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and miany were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the eutering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day;

29.

52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 12 Sa. 11. 53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.

21.

SolSa

31.4.

ver. 24.
Job 31. 3.
Ps. 94.23.
Pr. 5. 22.

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his arinourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

56 T Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render ver. 20. upon their heads: and upon them came "the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

CHAPTER X.

Tola judgeth Israel in Shamir, 1. 3 Jair, whose thirty sons had thirty cities. 6 The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel. 10 In their misery God sendeth them to their false gods. 15 Upon their repentance he pitieth them.

and he took the city, and slew & ver. 20. cir. 1206. AN

the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 And when all the men of the towerof Shechem heard that, they entered into a hold of the house of the god Berith.

47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

b De. 29.

ach. 2. 16.

23. 1 Ki.
12. 25.
2 Ki.3.25.

I Or,
deliver.

† Heb

save.

ich. 8. 33.

tHeb. I have

done.

cir. 1183.

ND after Abimelech there arose to it defend Israel, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar: and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 T And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

4 And he had thirty sons that brode on thirty ass colts, and & 12. 14. they had thirty cities, which De.3.14. are called | Havoth-jair unto Or, the this day, which are in the land villages of Gilead.

of Jair. 5 And Jair died, and was buNu.32.41. ried in Camon.

48 And Abimelech gat him up to
mount Zalmon, he and all the x Ps. 68. ch.5. 10.
people that were with him; and 14.
Abimelech took an axe in his
hand,and cut down a bough from
the trees, and took it, and laid it
cn his shoulder,and said unto the
people that werewith him, What
ye have seen me do, make
haste, and do as I have done.
49 And all the people likewise
cut down every man his bough,
and followed Abimelech, and
pat them to the hold, and set
the hold on fire upon them: so
that all the men of the tower
of Shechem died also, about a
thousand men and women.
501 Then went Abimelech to
Thebez, and encamped against
Thebez, and took it

cir. 1161. 6 T And the children of Israel dch. 2.11. did evil again in the sight of the &3.7.&4. LORD, and served Baalim and 1.&6.1.& Ashtaroth, and fthe gods of 13. 1. Syria, and the gods of "Zidon, ch. 2. 13. and the gods of Moab, and the fch. 2. 12. gods of the children of Ammon, 51 KI 11. and the gods of the Philistines, 33.Ps.106 and forsook the LORD, and served not him.