Judges 7:20-25

7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. ¹  Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 7:21 They stood in order ²  all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. ³  7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords ⁴  throughout ⁵  the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went ⁶  to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 7:23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. ⁷ 

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. ⁸  Take control of the fords of the streams ⁹  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” ¹⁰  When all the Ephraimites had assembled, ¹¹  they took control of the fords ¹²  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. ¹³  They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb ¹⁴  in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites ¹⁵  and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. ¹⁶ 

¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “each in his place.”

³ tn Or “fled.”

⁴ tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”

⁵ tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.

⁶ tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁷ tn Heb “Midian.”

⁸ tn Heb “to meet Midian.”

⁹ tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”

¹⁰ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).

¹¹ tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”

¹² tn Heb “they captured the waters.”

¹³ sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁵ tn Heb “Midian.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).