Judges 7:25
in Judges 7They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
KJV
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 winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
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This verse in Judges 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThey who were glorying in their army, whose king was the Assyrian and who used to boast "I will scale the heavens," not only fell down to earth but on the ground became dung."Make their nobles." What nobles? Those who fight against your people. "Like Oreb and Zeeb; all their chiefs like Zebah and Zalmunna." I suppose you have read in the book of Judges the story of Gideon, who is also called Jerubbaal, how he outwitted those four kings while fighting for the people of God and put an end to them.
This site's exposition
Gideon sent messengers throughout all
on Judges 7:24-25
Ephraim is called after the fighting rather than before it, and 8:1 opens with that tribe complaining about exactly this. Holding the waters and the fords of Jordan shuts the escape route, which is the tactic Ehud used at 3:28. Oreb means raven and Zeeb means wolf, and the rock and the winepress carry their names afterward from what happened at them. Isaiah 10:26 reaches back to this day at the rock of Oreb, and Psalm 83:11 names both princes in a prayer asking God to do it again.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb,.... The one signifies a "raven", and the other a "wolf"; which were either nicknames given them because of their voraciousness and cruelty, or which they took themselves, or their ancestors before them, to make themselves terrible to others; so the Romans had the families of the Corvini, &c. and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb; perhaps they found him in a cave of the rock, and dragging him out slew him, from whence the rock afterwards had its name.
Their names perhaps signified their nature, Oreb signifies a raven, and Zeeb a wolf ( corvus and lupus ). These in their flight had taken shelter, one in a rock ( Isa. ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
2 And the L ORD 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 is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v2-3
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
They slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb - These two generals had taken shelter, one in the cavern of the rock, the other in the vat of a winepress; both of which places were from this circumstance, afterwards called by their names. Brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon - Oreb signifies a raven and Zeeb a wolf.
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּלְכְּד֡וּ | vaiyilkedu | and they captured | H3920 → | 121 times |
| שְׁנֵֽי־ | shenei- | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| שָׂרֵ֨י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| מִדְיָ֜ן | midyan | Midian | H4080 → | 59 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹרֵ֣ב | ʾorev | Oreb | H6159 → | 7 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְאֵ֗ב | zeev | Zeeb | H2062 → | 6 times |
| וַיַּהַרְג֨וּ | vaiyahargu | and they killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עוֹרֵ֤ב | orev | Oreb | H6159 → | 7 times |
| בְּצוּר־ | betzur- | at [the] rock of | H6697 → | 78 times |
| עוֹרֵב֙ | orev | Oreb | H6159 → | 7 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְאֵב֙ | zeev | Zeeb | H2062 → | 6 times |
| הָרְג֣וּ | haregu | they killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| בְיֶֽקֶב־ | veyekev- | at [the] winepress of | H3342 → | |
| זְאֵ֔ב | zeev | Zeeb | H2062 → | 6 times |
| וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֖וּ | vaiyirdefu | and they pursued | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִדְיָ֑ן | midyan | Midian | H4080 → | 59 times |
| וְרֹאשׁ־ | verosh- | and [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עֹרֵ֣ב | ʾorev | Oreb | H6159 → | 7 times |
| וּזְאֵ֔ב | uzeev | and Zeeb | H2062 → | 6 times |
| הֵבִ֙יאוּ֙ | heviu | they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גִּדְע֔וֹן | gidon | Gideon | H1439 → | 39 times |
| מֵעֵ֖בֶר | meever | from [the] other side | H5676 → | 90 times |
| לַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ | laiyarden | of the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
וַֽיִּלְכְּד֡וּand they captured
vaiyilkeduH3920 →121 times
שְׁנֵֽי־[the] two
shenei-H8147 →768 times
שָׂרֵ֨י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
מִדְיָ֜ןMidian
midyanH4080 →59 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֹרֵ֣בOreb
ʾorevH6159 →7 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
זְאֵ֗בZeeb
zeevH2062 →6 times
וַיַּהַרְג֨וּand they killed
vaiyaharguH2026 →167 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עוֹרֵ֤בOreb
orevH6159 →7 times
בְּצוּר־at [the] rock of
betzur-H6697 →78 times
עוֹרֵב֙Oreb
orevH6159 →7 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
זְאֵב֙Zeeb
zeevH2062 →6 times
הָרְג֣וּthey killed
hareguH2026 →167 times
בְיֶֽקֶב־at [the] winepress of
veyekev-H3342 →
זְאֵ֔בZeeb
zeevH2062 →6 times
וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֖וּand they pursued
vaiyirdefuH7291 →143 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִדְיָ֑ןMidian
midyanH4080 →59 times
וְרֹאשׁ־and [the] head of
verosh-H7218 →599 times
עֹרֵ֣בOreb
ʾorevH6159 →7 times
וּזְאֵ֔בand Zeeb
uzeevH2062 →6 times
הֵבִ֙יאוּ֙they brought
heviuH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גִּדְע֔וֹןGideon
gidonH1439 →39 times
מֵעֵ֖בֶרfrom [the] other side
meeverH5676 →90 times
לַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃of the Jordan
laiyardenH3383 →182 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
Isaiah 10:26And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.
it leads to
- Isaiah 9:4
For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
- 2 Kings 19:35
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the…
- Exodus 14:16
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
- Isaiah 9:4
Through
Joshua 7:26And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this…
it leads to
- Hosea 2:15
There I will give back her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the…
- Isaiah 65:10
Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me.
- Deuteronomy 13:17
Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
- Lamentations 3:53
They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
- 2 Samuel 18:17
They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
- Hosea 2:15
Where this verse is studied
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; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 15 (PS 82); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
