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Complete Jewish Bible

Judges 7:16

He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He put in the hands of all of them shofars and empty pitchers with torches in them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Courage;   Miracles;   Pitcher;   Strategy;   Trumpet;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Gideon;   Home;   Jerubbaal;   Pitchers;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Strategy;   Torches;   War;   War-Peace;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Lamps;   Midianites;   Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;   Trumpet;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Potter;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Barrel;   Esdraelon;   Fire;   Lamp;   Music, Instrumental;   Pitcher;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   Lamp;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Lamps, Lighting, Lampstand;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Lamp;   Levi;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Number;   Ophrah;   War;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Pitcher ;   Torch;   Waterpot ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jerubbaal;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armageddon;   Gideon;   Harod;   Midian;   War;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Lamp;   Pitcher;   War;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Lamp;   Pitcher;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Trumpet;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;   Company;   Firebrand;   Number;   Pitcher;   Potter;   Torch;   War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each of the men a trumpet in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other hand.
Hebrew Names Version
He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
King James Version
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
Lexham English Bible
He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty jars in everyone's hand, with torches inside the jars.
English Standard Version
And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars.
New Century Version
Gideon divided the three hundred men into three groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning torch inside.
New English Translation
He divided the three hundred men into three units. He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them.
Amplified Bible
He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.
New American Standard Bible
And he divided the three hundred men into three units, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee deuided the three hundreth men into three bandes, and gaue euery man a trumpet in his hande with emptie pitchers, and lampes within the pitchers.
Legacy Standard Bible
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of their own benefit.
Contemporary English Version
Gideon divided his little army into three groups of one hundred men, and he gave each soldier a trumpet and a large clay jar with a burning torch inside.
Darby Translation
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, and empty pitchers, and torches within the pitchers.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Gideon divided the 300 men into three groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning torch inside it.
George Lamsa Translation
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every mans hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Good News Translation
He divided his three hundred men into three groups and gave each man a trumpet and a jar with a torch inside it.
Literal Translation
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies. And he put a ram's horn in the hand of all of them, and empty jars, and torches inside the jars.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he deuyded the thre hundreth men in to thre partes, and gaue euery one a trompet in his hande, and emptye pytchers, and lampes therin,
American Standard Version
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
Bible in Basic English
Then separating the three hundred men into three bands, he gave every man a horn, and a vessel in which was a flaming branch.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he deuided the three hundred men into three companies, and gaue euery man a trumpet in his hande, with emptie pytchers, and lampes therin.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them horns, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
King James Version (1611)
And he diuided the three hundred men into three companies, and hee put a trumpet in euery mans hand, with empty pitchers, and lampes within the pitchers,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put horns in the hands of all, and empty pitchers, and torches in the pitchers:
English Revised Version
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
Berean Standard Bible
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a trumpet in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he departide thre hundrid men in to thre partis, and he yaf trumpis in her hondis, and voyde pottis, and laumpis in the myddis of the pottis.
Young's Literal Translation
And he divideth the three hundred men [into] three detachments, and putteth trumpets into the hand of all of them, and empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
Update Bible Version
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he divided the three hundred men [into] three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
World English Bible
He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
New King James Version
Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
New Living Translation
He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
New Life Bible
He divided the 300 men into three groups. He gave horns and empty pots with fire sticks inside to each of them.
New Revised Standard
After he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty jars, with torches inside the jars,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, - and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he divided the three hundred men into three parts, and gave them trumpets in their hands, and empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
Revised Standard Version
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars.
THE MESSAGE
He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch in the jar. He said, "Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do. When I and those with me blow the trumpets, you also, all around the camp, blow your trumpets and shout, ‘For God and for Gideon!'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.

Contextual Overview

16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He put in the hands of all of them shofars and empty pitchers with torches in them. 17 Then he said to them, "Watch me, and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, whatever I do, you do the same. 18 When I and everyone with me blow the shofar, then you blow your shofars all around the whole camp, and shout, "For Adonai and for Gid‘on!" 19 Gid‘on and the hundred men with him arrived at the edge of the camp a little before midnight, just after they had changed the guard. They blew the shofars and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 All three companies blew the shofars, broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands, keeping their right hands free for the shofars they were blowing; and they shouted, "The sword for Adonai and for Gid‘on!" 21 Then, as every man stood still in place around the camp, the whole camp was thrown into panic, with everyone screaming and trying to escape. 22 Gid‘on's men blew their 300 shofars, and Adonai caused everyone in the camp to attack his comrades; and the enemy fled beyond Beit-Sheetah near Tz'rerah, as far as the border of Avel-M'cholah, by Tabat.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

three companies: This small number of men, thus divided, would be able to encompass the whole camp of the Midianites. Concealing the lamps in the pitchers, they would pass unobserved to their appointed stations; then, in the dead of the night, when most of the enemy were fast asleep, all at once breaking their pitchers one against another, with as much noise as they could, and blowing the trumpets and shouting; they would occasion an exceedingly great alarm. The obedience of faith alone could have induced such an expedient, which no doubt God directed Gideon to employ. - Scott.

a trumpet: Heb. trumpets in the hand of all of them

empty: 2 Corinthians 4:7

lamps: or, fire-brands, or torches

Reciprocal: Numbers 10:9 - oppresseth Judges 7:19 - brake Judges 15:15 - slew 1 Samuel 11:11 - in three 1 Samuel 17:40 - staff 2 Samuel 18:2 - a third part 1 Kings 20:14 - young men 1 Kings 20:15 - two hundred 1 Corinthians 14:8 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
(ii) Adonai said to Noach, "Come into the ark, you and all your household; for I have seen that you alone in this generation are righteous before me.
Genesis 7:2
Of every clean animal you are to take seven couples, and of the animals that are not clean, one couple;
Genesis 7:3
also of the birds in the air take seven couples — in order to preserve their species throughout the earth.
Genesis 7:4
For in seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the earth."
Genesis 7:5
Noach did all that Adonai ordered him to do.
Genesis 7:10
After seven days the water flooded the earth.
Deuteronomy 33:27
(vi) The God of old is a dwelling-place, with everlasting arms beneath. He expelled the enemy before you and he said, ‘Destroy!'
Psalms 46:2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Proverbs 3:23
Then you will walk your way securely, without hurting your foot.
Matthew 25:10
But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies,.... One hundred in a company, partly to make the better figure, a show of an army, with a right and left wing, and partly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian in different parts:

and he put a trumpet in every man's hand; they that returned of the trumpeters having left their trumpets behind them, whereby there was a sufficient number for three hundred men; and these were put into their hands, that when they blew them together, the, noise would be very great; and it would seem as if they were an exceeding great army, and so very much terrify their enemies:

with empty pitchers, and lamps with the pitchers; the pitchers were of earth, and so easily broken, and would make a great noise when clashed against each other; and these were empty of water, or otherwise would not have been fit to put lamps into, and the lamps put in them were not of oil; for then, when the pitchers were broken, the oil would have run out; but were a kind of torches, made of rosin, wax, pitch, and such like things; and these were put into the pitcher, partly to preserve them from the wind, and chiefly to conceal them from the enemy, till just they came upon them, and then held them out; which in a dark night would make a terrible blaze, as before they served to give them light down the hill into the camp.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gideon himself took the command of one company, and sent the other two under their respective captains to different sides of the camp Judges 7:18, Judges 7:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 7:16. He divided the three hundred men — Though the victory was to be from the Lord, yet he knew that he ought to use prudential means; and those which he employed on this occasion were the best calculated to answer the end. If he had not used these means, it is not likely that God would have delivered the Midianites into his hands. Sometimes, even in working a miracle, God will have natural means used: Go, dip thyself seven times in Jordan. Go, wash in the pool Siloam.


 
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