Judges 7:19
in Judges 7Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
KJV
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
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This verse in Judges 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseFor the same reason was it that when Gideon was about to overcome the Midianites, he commanded three hundred men to take pitchers, and to hold lighted torches inside the pitchers, and trumpets in their right hands. Our predecessors have preserved the explanation received from the apostles, that the pitchers are our bodies, fashioned of clay, which do not know fear if they burn with the fervor of the grace of the Spirit, and bear witness to the passion of the Lord Jesus with a loud confession of the voice.
This site's exposition
the beginning of the middle
on Judges 7:19-21
The middle watch begins near midnight, just after the guard changed, so the sentries were the least settled and the camp was asleep. Israel divided the night into three watches, which is why Exodus 14:24 can speak of the morning watch. The three hundred break their jars, then "Each Israelite took his position around the camp" while Midian fled, the posture Moses called for at Exodus 14:13.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that the sentinels, being then wakeful, might the sooner disperse the alarm through the camp, which was the best service they could do him. Three ways Gideon contrived to strike a terror upon this army, and so put them into confusion. [1.] With a great noise.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
So Gideon, and the one hundred men that were with him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The middle watch - The old Jewish division of the night was three watches of four hours each. They are alluded to in Exo 14:24; 1Sa 11:11; Psa 63:6; Psa 90:4; Psa 119:148; Psa 130:6; Lam 2:19. After the Jews fell under the power of the Romans, they used the Roman division of four watches of three hours each Mat 14:25; Mar 13:35. “The beginning” of the watch would be about eleven o’clock at night.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The sleepers started from their rest; not a blow was dealt by the Israelites; but the enemy ran tumultuously, uttering the wild, discordant cries peculiar to the Arab race.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| גִ֠דְעוֹן | gidon | Gideon | H1439 → | 39 times |
| וּמֵאָה־ | umeah- | and one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּ֜וֹ | ʾito | [were] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| בִּקְצֵ֣ה | biktzeh | in [the] edge of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗ה | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| רֹ֚אשׁ | rosh | [the] beginning of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת | haashmoret | the watch | H821 → | |
| הַתִּֽיכוֹנָ֔ה | hatikhonah | <the> middle | H8484 → | |
| אַ֛ךְ | ʾakh | just as | H389 → | 161 times |
| הָקֵ֥ם | hakem | certainly <to station> | H6965 → | 628 times |
| הֵקִ֖ימוּ | hekimu | they had stationed | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשֹּֽׁמְרִ֑ים | hashomerim | the watchmen | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֙ | vaiyitkeu | and they gave a blast | H8628 → | 69 times |
| בַּשּׁ֣וֹפָר֔וֹת | bashofarot | on the trumpets | H7782 → | 72 times |
| וְנָפ֥וֹץ | venafotz | and they smashed | H5310 → | |
| הַכַּדִּ֖ים | hakadim | the jars | H3537 → | 18 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיָדָֽם׃ | beyadam | [were] in hand their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
גִ֠דְעוֹןGideon
gidonH1439 →39 times
וּמֵאָה־and one hundred
umeah-H3967 →581 times
אִ֨ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אִתּ֜וֹ[were] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
בִּקְצֵ֣הin [the] edge of
biktzehH7097 →97 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗הthe camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
רֹ֚אשׁ[the] beginning of
roshH7218 →599 times
הָאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶתthe watch
haashmoretH821 →
הַתִּֽיכוֹנָ֔ה<the> middle
hatikhonahH8484 →
אַ֛ךְjust as
ʾakhH389 →161 times
הָקֵ֥םcertainly <to station>
hakemH6965 →628 times
הֵקִ֖ימוּthey had stationed
hekimuH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשֹּֽׁמְרִ֑יםthe watchmen
hashomerimH8104 →468 times
וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֙and they gave a blast
vaiyitkeuH8628 →69 times
בַּשּׁ֣וֹפָר֔וֹתon the trumpets
bashofarotH7782 →72 times
וְנָפ֥וֹץand they smashed
venafotzH5310 →
הַכַּדִּ֖יםthe jars
hakadimH3537 →18 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיָדָֽם׃[were] in hand their
beyadamH3027 →1618 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Thessalonians 5:2For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 16:15
“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
- Revelation 3:3
Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will…
- Matthew 24:42–44
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
- 2 Peter 3:10
Through
Revelation 16:15“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- Matthew 24:42–43
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
- Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to…
- Revelation 3:3–4
Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Holy Spirit 1.143-46; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.