Judges 7:6

THE MESSAGE

Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: ‘Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, ‘This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, ‘This one doesn't go,' he won't go." So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men, and all the rest of the troops knelt to drink water.

Hebrew Names Version
The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
The number of those lapping up the water with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; all the rest of the troops kneeled to drink the water.

English Standard Version
And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.

New Century Version
There were three hundred men who used their hands to bring water to their mouths, lapping it as a dog does. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

New English Translation
Three hundred men lapped; the rest of the men kneeled to drink water.

Amplified Bible
Now the number of those who lapped [the water], putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water.

New American Standard Bible
Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the nomber of them that lapped by putting their handes to their mouthes, were three hundreth men: but all the remnant of the people kneeled downe vpo their knees to drinke water.

Legacy Standard Bible
En die aantal van die wat gelek het met hul hand na hul mond toe, was drie honderd man; en al die ander manskappe het op hulle knieë vooroor gebuig om water te drink.

Contemporary English Version
Three hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink.

Complete Jewish Bible
Three hundred lapped, putting their hand to their mouth; all the rest of the men got down on their knees to drink water.

Darby Translation
And the number of them that lapped, with their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

Easy-to-Read Version
There were 300 men who used their hands to bring water to their mouth and lapped it like a dog does. All the other people bent down and drank the water.

George Lamsa Translation
And the number of those that lapped, putting the hand to the mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down upon their knees to drink water.

Good News Translation
There were three hundred men who scooped up water in their hands and lapped it; all the others got down on their knees to drink.

Literal Translation
And the number of those lapping with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men. And all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then was the nombre of them that had licked out of the hande to the mouth, thre hundreth men.

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

Bible in Basic English
Now the number of those who took up the water with their tongues was three hundred; all the rest of the people went down on their knees to the water.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the number of them that put their handes to their mouthes and lapped, were three hundred men: But all ye remnaunt of ye people kneeled downe vpon their knees to dryncke water.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

King James Version (1611)
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 downe vpon their knees to drinke water.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the number of those that lapped with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed upon their knees to drink water.

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

Berean Standard Bible
And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so the noumbre of hem, that lapiden watris bi hond castynge to the mouth, was thre hundrid men; forsothe al the tothir multitude drank knelynge.

Young's Literal Translation
And the number of those lapping with their hand unto their mouth is three hundred men, and all the rest of the people have bowed down on their knees to drink water.

Update Bible Version
And the number of those that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

New King James Version
And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.

New Living Translation
Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.

New Life Bible
There were 300 men who drank from their hand, putting their hand to their mouth. But all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.

New Revised Standard
The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And so it was, that, the number of them that lapped with their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, - but, all the rest of the people, bowed down on their knees, to drink water.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the number of them that had lapped water; casting it with the hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: and all the rest of the multitude had drunk kneeling.

Revised Standard Version
And the number of those that lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.

Contextual Overview

¹ Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. ² God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: ‘Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. ⁴ God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, ‘This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, ‘This one doesn't go,' he won't go." So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink. God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home." After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the Israelites home. He took up his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian stretched out below him in the valley. That night, God told Gideon: "Get up and go down to the camp. I've given it to you. If you have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your armor bearer; when you hear what they're saying, you'll be bold and confident." He and his armor bearer Purah went down near the place where sentries were posted. Midian and Amalek, all the easterners, were spread out on the plain like a swarm of locusts. And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand on the seashore! Gideon arrived just in time to hear a man tell his friend a dream. He said, "I had this dream: A loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp. It came to the tent and hit it so hard it collapsed. The tent fell!" His friend said, "This has to be the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite! God has turned Midian—the whole camp!—over to him." When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he went to his knees before God in prayer. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up and get going! God has just given us the Midianite army!" 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!'" Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, "A sword for God and for Gideon!" They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, God aimed each Midianite's sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives—to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Israelites rallied from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all over Manasseh. They had Midian on the run. Gideon then sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim, urging them, "Come down against Midian! Capture the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim rallied and captured the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah. They also captured the two Midianite commanders Oreb (Raven) and Zeeb (Wolf). They killed Oreb at Raven Rock; Zeeb they killed at Wolf Winepress. And they pressed the pursuit of Midian. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan. ⁶ Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: ‘Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, ‘This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, ‘This one doesn't go,' he won't go." So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink. ⁷ God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home." ⁸ After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the Israelites home. He took up his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian stretched out below him in the valley.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Psalms 110:7 - He shall

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
When Noah was 500 years old, he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 8:13
In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth,.... That is, that took up water in the hollow of their hands, which they lifted up to their mouths, and so lapped it, as the Egyptians about the Nile are said d to do, who drank not out of pots and cups, but used their hands to drink with:

were three hundred men; only such a number out of 10,000: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water; even 9,700; and it was the custom of some nations, as the Ichthyophagy, or fish eaters, to cast themselves with their face to the ground, and drink after the manner of oxen e.

d Achilles Tatius, l. 4. e Strabo. Geograph. l. 16. p. 532.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 7:6. The number of them that lapped — From this account it appears that some of the people went down on their knees, and putting their mouths to the water, sucked up what they needed; the others stooped down, and taking up water in the hollow of their hands, applied it to their mouth.