Judges 7:21

Judges 7:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
• New International Version (NIV)While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.

Context of Judges 7:21

19Gideon took 100 men with him to the edge of the Midianites' camp. It was the middle of the night. A new group of Midianite guards had just started their work. Gideon's men made a loud noise with their trumpets. They also broke the pots that they were holding. 20Then all three groups of Israelite soldiers made a noise with their trumpets that they held in the right hands. They broke their pots and they held their burning branches in their left hands. Then they shouted, ‘Fight for the Lord and for Gideon!’ They all stood in their places around the Midianites' camp. Then the whole Midianite army ran away! They were shouting as they ran as fast as they could run. 22When Gideon's 300 men made a noise with their trumpets, it confused the Midianites everywhere in their camp. The Lord caused them to attack one another with their swords. Their army ran away to Beth Shittah, on the road towards Zererah. They ran as far as the border of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath. 23Then Gideon told men from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh to chase the Midianites.

Judges 7:21 word by word

וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ תַּחְתָּ֔יו סָבִ֖יב לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיָּ֧רָץ כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה וַיָּרִ֖יעוּ וַיָּנֽוּסוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• in his place round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• ranרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
• and criedרוּעַrûa‛ · to shoutH7321
• and fledנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127

Cross-references for Judges 7:21

• Exodus 14:13Then Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid! Be brave! You will see how the Lord will save you today. Look at the Egyptians over there. You will never see them again!
• 2 Chronicles 20:17You will not have to fight in this battle. Go to your places and stand still. Then you will see the Lord rescue you. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid. Be brave! Tomorrow you must march out of here towards the enemy army. The Lord is with you!” ’
• Isaiah 30:7Help from Egypt is useless! So I call Egypt ‘Rahab who does nothing.’
• Exodus 14:25He stopped the wheels of their chariots, so that the Egyptians could not drive them properly. So the Egyptians said, ‘Let us run away from the Israelite army! It is the Lord who fights for them against Egypt.’
• 2 Kings 7:6The Lord God had caused the Syrian soldiers to hear the sound of horses, chariots and a very big army. So they said among themselves, ‘Listen! The king of Israel has paid the king of the Hittites and the king of Egypt to come here and attack us!’
• Job 15:21He will hear things that frighten him. He may think that he is safe, but robbers will attack him.
• Proverbs 28:1A wicked person runs away even when nobody is chasing him. But a righteous person is as brave as a lion.

Commentaries on Judges 7:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21They stood every man in his place - Each of the three companies kept its station, and continued to sound their trumpets. The Midianites seeing this, and believing that they were the trumpets of a numerous army which had then penetrated their camp, were thrown instantly into confusion; and supposing that their enemies were in the midst of them, they turned their swords against every man they met, while at the same time they endeavored to escape for their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The effect to the Midianites would be, that they were surrounded by a mighty host. Their own camp being in darkness, as soon as the confusion of flight began they would mistake friends for foes, and fleers for pursuers. When once fighting had begun by the first casual mistake, the clashing of swords and the shouts of the combatants in the camp, accompanied by the continuous blowing of Gideon‘s trumpets outside, would make it appear that the whole of the…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. 21The warriors stayed in place while God fought the battle (compare Exodus 14:13; 1 Samuel 12:16; Revelation 19:11–16). The Midianites’ camels (Judges 6:5) might have caused panic. Camels usually gave a military advantage, but here they were a problem. They were likely tied up for the night, and camels can panic easily.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 7:21

• Armies
• Courage
• Miracles
• Strategy
• Trumpet

In the dictionaries

• Dream
• Esdraelon
• Gideon
• Harod
• Lap
• Midianite
• Oreb
• Abdon (1)
• Cry, Crying
• Esdraelon, Plain of

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