Study Desk

She put her hand to the tent-pin, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; With the hammer she struck Sisera, she struck through his head; Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.

Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera [cried] through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?

So let all your enemies perish, LORD: But let those who love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. The land had rest forty years.

The angel of the LORD came, and sat under the oak which was in Ofrat, that pertained to Yo'ash the Avi-Ezri: and his son Gid`on was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midyanim.

Gid`on said to him, Oh, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Mitzrayim? but now the LORD has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midyan.

Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

Then Gid`on took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had spoken to him: and it happened, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

Yo'ash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for Ba`al? Or will you save him? he who will contend for him, let him be put to death while [it is yet] morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one has broken down his altar.

Therefore on that day he named him Yerubba`al, saying, Let Ba`al contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.

So he brought down the people to the water: and the LORD said to Gid`on, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.

The LORD said to Gid`on, By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midyanim into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.

So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Yisra'el every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midyan was beneath him in the valley.

and you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.

When Gid`on had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midyan, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

His fellow answered, This is nothing else save the sword of Gid`on the son of Yo'ash, a man of Yisra'el: into his hand God has delivered Midyan, and all the host.

They stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put [them] to flight.

They blew the three hundred trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beit-Hashitta toward Tzererah, as far as the border of Avel-Mecholah, by Tabbat.

He said to Yeter his firstborn, Up, and kill them. But the youth didn't draw his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Then Zevach and Tzalmunnah said, Rise you, and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. Gid`on arose, and killed Zevach and Tzalmunnah, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

Gid`on said to them, I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Yishme`elim.)