Judges 7:20

Judges 7:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
• New International Version (NIV)The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”

Context of Judges 7:20

18When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet (ram’s horn), then all around the camp you also blow the trumpets and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ ” 19So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow, and they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21Then each stood in his place around the camp; and the entire [Midianite] army ran, crying out as they fled. 22When Gideon’s men blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one [Midianite] against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

Judges 7:20 word by word

וַֽ֠יִּתְקְעוּ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָרָאשִׁ֥ים בַּשּֽׁוֹפָרוֹת֮ וַיִּשְׁבְּר֣וּ הַכַּדִּים֒ וַיַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ בְיַד־שְׂמאוֹלָם֙ בַּלַּפִּדִ֔ים וּבְיַ֨ד־יְמִינָ֔ם הַשּׁוֹפָר֖וֹת לִתְק֑וֹעַ וַֽיִּקְרְא֔וּ חֶ֥רֶב לַֽיהוָ֖ה וּלְגִדְעֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• companiesרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: groupH7218
• blewתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628
• the trumpetsשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
• and brakeשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
• the pitchersכַּדkad · jarH3537
• and heldחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the lampsלַפִּידlappîyd lappid · torchH3940
• in their leftשְׂמֹאלώemô'l ώem'ôl · leftH8040
• handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• in their rightיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• and they criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• The swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and of Gideonגִּדְעוֹןgid‛ôn · GideonH1439

Cross-references for Judges 7:20

• Numbers 10:1The Lord spoke further to Moses, saying,
• Joshua 6:4Also, seven priests shall carry seven trumpets [made] of rams’ horns ahead of the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
• Isaiah 27:13It will come to pass in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost and perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
• 1 Corinthians 15:52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed].
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the [blast of the] trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.
• Hebrews 11:4By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which it was testified of him that he was righteous (upright, in right standing with God), and God testified by accepting his gifts. And though he died, yet through [this act of] faith he still speaks.
• 2 Peter 1:15Moreover, I will diligently endeavor [to see to it] that even after my departure you will be able, at all times, to call these things to mind.

Commentaries on Judges 7:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers - How astonishing must the effect be, in a dark night, of the sudden glare of three hundred torches, darting their splendor, in the same instant, on the half-awakened eyes of the terrified Midianites, accompanied with the clangour of three hundred trumpets, alternately mingled with the thundering shout of ולגדעון ליהוה חרב chereb layhovah ulegidon, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" Origen, in his ninth homily…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20Surprise and trickery replaced the need for a large army. The war cry, the sudden sound of 300 trumpets, and the torches lighting up made it seem like there was a big army.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2416-22. he divided the three hundred men into three companies--The object of dividing his forces was, that they might seem to be surrounding the enemy. The pitchers were empty to conceal the torches, and made of earthenware, so as to be easily broken; and the sudden blaze of the held-up lights--the loud echo of the trumpets, and the shouts of Israel, always terrifying (Nu 23:21), and now more terrible than ever by the use of such striking words, broke…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 7:20

• Armies
• Battle
• Courage
• Miracles
• Pitcher
• Strategy
• Sword
• Trumpet

In the dictionaries

• Gideon
• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Harod
• Lamp
• Lap
• Midianite
• Oreb
• Sword
• Abdon (1)

Commentaries on Judges 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings