Judges 7:8

So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Gideon addresses the Israelite army after God identifies the three hundred men who will secure victory over the Midianites. He dismisses the rest to their tents while retaining the three hundred to prepare for battle.

The words — The text highlights צֵדָה (tzedah, provisions) and שׁוֹפְרֹתֵי (shofrotei, trumpets or rams’ horns) as the specific items the three hundred men took into their own hands from the dismissed camp.

The thread — These trumpets echo the blast commanded in Leviticus 23:24 and Leviticus 25:9 for sacred assemblies and the Day of Atonement, and point forward to the great shofar in Isaiah 27:13 that gathers the scattered.

Why it lands — The verse records that military preparation depends on God’s specific number and equipment rather than human strength. It demands immediate obedience to dismiss the surplus and trust the appointed few.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּקְח֣וּva/i.yik.Chuand/ they took אֶת־'et-<obj.>צֵדָה֩tze.Dahprovision[s]הָעָ֨םha./'Amthe/ people בְּיָדָ֜םbe./ya.Da/min/ hand/ their וְאֵ֣תve./'Etand/ <obj.>שׁוֹפְרֹֽתֵיהֶ֗םshof.ro.tei./Hemtrumpets/ their וְאֵ֨תve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-every אִ֤ישׁ'ish<the> man of יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsrael שִׁלַּח֙shi.Lachhe sent away אִ֣ישׁ'isheach לְאֹֽהָלָ֔יוle./'o.ha.La/vto/ tents/ his וּבִשְׁלֹשׁ־u./vi/sh.losh-and/ on/ three מֵא֥וֹתme.'othundred<s>הָאִ֖ישׁha./'Ishthe/ man הֶֽחֱזִ֑יקhe.che.Zikhe kept hold וּמַחֲנֵ֣הu./ma.cha.Nehand/ [the] camp of מִדְיָ֔ןmid.YanMidian הָ֥יָהHa.yahit wasל֖וֹl/oto <the>/ himמִתַּ֥חַתmi./Ta.chatfrom/ under בָּעֵֽמֶק׃ פba./'E.mekin the/ valley

King James Version

So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

Cross-references

Isaiah 27:13 And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
Leviticus 23:24 “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly announced by trumpet blasts.
Leviticus 25:9 Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land.
Numbers 10:9 When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.
Joshua 6:4 Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
Joshua 6:20 So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.
Judges 3:27 On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
1 Corinthians 15:52 in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Judges 6:33 Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.