Chapter 7:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 7
Concise Complete
Gideon's army reduced. (1-8) Gideon is encouraged. (9-15)
The defeat of the Midianites. (16-22) The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb.
(23-25)
1-8. God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly
to himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed. Activity and
prudence go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings. When
the Lord sees that men would overlook him, and through unbelief, would shrink
from perilous services, or that through pride they would vaunt themselves
against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by other instruments.
Pretences will be found by many, for deserting the cause and escaping the cross.
But though a religious society may thus be made fewer in numbers, yet it will
gain as to purity, and may expect an increased blessing from the Lord. God
chooses to employ such as are not only well affected, but zealously affected in
a good thing. They grudged not at the liberty of the others who were dismissed.
In doing the duties required by God, we must not regard the forwardness or
backwardness of others, nor what they do, but what God looks for at our hands.
He is a rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts or
blessings, or in liberty; so that we may say, it is by the special grace of God
that we regard what God says to us, and not look to men what they do.
Verses 9-15 The
dream seemed to have little meaning in it; but the interpretation evidently
proved the whole to be from the Lord, and discovered that the name of Gideon had
filled the Midianites with terror. Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success;
without delay he worshipped and praised God, and returned with confidence to his
three hundred men. Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God
must have the praise of that which encourages our faith. And his providence must
be acknowledged in events, though small and seemingly accidental.
Verses 16-22 This
method of defeating the Midianites may be alluded to, as exemplifying the
destruction of the devil's kingdom in the world, by the preaching of the
everlasting gospel, the sounding that trumpet, and the holding forth that light
out of earthen vessels, for such are the ministers of the gospel, 2Co 4:6,7. God
chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, a barley-cake to
overthrow the tents of Midian, that the excellency of the power might be of God
only. The gospel is a sword, not in the hand, but in the mouth: the sword of the
Lord and of Gideon; of God and Jesus Christ, of Him that sits on the throne and
the Lamb. The wicked are often led to avenge the cause of God upon each other,
under the power of their delusions, and the fury of their passions. See also how
God often makes the enemies of the church instruments to destroy one another; it
is a pity that the church's friends should ever act like them.
Verses 23-25 Two
chief commanders of the host of Midian were taken and slain by the men of
Ephraim. It were to be wished that we all did as these did, and that where help
is needed, that it were willingly and readily performed by another. And that if
there were any excellent and profitable matter begun, we were willing to have
fellow-labourers to the finishing and perfecting the same, and not, as often,
hinder one another.
Chapter 7:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
