Judges 7:25

Maori Bible

25 A tokorua nga rangatira o Miriana i mau i a ratou, ko Orepe raua ko Teepe; a patua iho e ratou a Orepe ki te kamaka a Orepe, i patua hoki a Teepe ki te poka waina a Teepe, a whaia ana e ratou a Miriana, a kawea ana e ratou nga matenga o Orepe ra ua ko Teepe ki a Kiriona ki tawahi o Horano.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two princes: Judges 8:3, Psalms 83:11, Psalms 83:12

rock: Joshua 7:26, Isaiah 10:26

Oreb: Eusebius and Jerome speak of a small place called Araba, three miles west from Scythopolis, which is supposed by some to have had its name from Oreb.

and brought: Among ancient nations, the head of the conquered chief was usually brought to the conqueror. Thus Pompey's head was brought to Cesar, Cicero's head to Mark Anthony, and the heads of Ahab's children to Jehu. These barbarities are seldom practised now, except among the Mahommedans, or the savages of Africa and America; and for the credit of human nature, it is to be wished that such atrocities had never been committed.

on the other side: The words maiaiver lyyarden, may denote at the passage of Jordan, or from beyond Jordan. Gideon does not appear to have yet passed the Jordan. Judges 8:4

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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. So we read of the rock Corax in Homer p, which was in Ithaca, and another high mountain of the same name in Aetolia, mentioned by Livy q and which signifies the same as Oreb. This is a different rock or mountain from Horeb, the same with Sinai, from whence the law was given; which always ought to be written with an "H" or "Ch", to distinguish it from this; though that is written Oreb by Lactantius r, and so by Milton s, contrary to the propriety of the language:

and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; the Targum is, the plain of Zeeb, which, as Kimchi and Ben Gersom suppose, was in the form of a winepress, having high lips or hills around it, and which afterwards took its name from this prince being slain in it:

and pursued Midian; the rest of the Midianites, even beyond Jordan, those that got over it:

and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan; that is, when he had passed over it the next morning, as Jarchi remarks; for after this we read of Gideon's going over Jordan, Judges 8:4 unless this is said by way of anticipation; though the phrase will bear to be rendered, "on this side Jordan", for it signifies both. It seems they cut off the heads of those two princes, and presented them to Gideon, as it has been usual to bring the heads of enemies to kings and conquerors; see 1 Samuel 17:54.

p Odyss. 13. "prope finem". q Hist. l. 36. c. 30. r De vera Sap. l. 4. c. 17. s Paradise Lost, l. 1. ver. 7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 7:25. 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. In all ancient nations we find generals and princes taking their names from both birds and beasts; the Romans had their Gracchi, jackdaws; Corvini, crows; Aquilini, eagles, c. We have the same in our Crows, Wolfs, Lyons, Hawkes, Bulls, Kidds, c. Among barbarous nations the head of the conquered chief was often brought to the conqueror. Pompey's head was brought to Caesar Cicero's head, to Mark Antony the heads of Ahab's children, to Jehu, c. These barbarities are not often practiced now, except among the Mohammedans or the savages of Africa and America and for the credit of human nature it is a pity that such barbarous atrocities had ever been committed.