וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יְרֻבַּעַל הוּא גִדְעוֹן וְכָל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיַּחֲנוּ עַל עֵין חֲרֹד וּמַחֲנֵה מִדְיָן הָיָה לוֹ מִצָּפוֹן מִגִּבְעַת הַמּוֹרֶה בָּעֵמֶק

Yerubaal, who was Gideon, and all the people who were with him, arose early and encamped by Ein Harod, in the Yizre’el Valley; and the camp of Midyan was to his north, by Givat Moreh, in the valley.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל גִּדְעוֹן רַב הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ מִתִּתִּי אֶת מִדְיָן בְּיָדָם פֶּן יִתְפָּאֵר עָלַי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יָדִי הוֹשִׁיעָה לִּי

The Lord said to Gideon: The people that are with you are too numerous for Me to deliver Midyan into their hand, lest Israel aggrandize itself over Me, saying: My own hand saved me. Since victory was a reasonable possibility with that many soldiers, the concern is that the Israelites would be liable to attribute the Midyanites’ flight to their mobilization, whereas God wants their success to be acknowledged as a miracle.

וְעַתָּה קְרָא נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר מִי יָרֵא וְחָרֵד יָשֹׁב וְיִצְפֹּר מֵהַר הַגִּלְעָד וַיָּשָׁב מִן הָעָם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים נִשְׁאָרוּ

Now, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying: You did well to report quickly; however, anyone who is afraid or anxious, let him return early in the morning through the highlands of Gilad. Twenty-two thousand of the people returned home, and ten thousand remained.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל גִּדְעוֹן עוֹד הָעָם רָב הוֹרֵד אוֹתָם אֶל הַמַּיִם וְאֶצְרְפֶנּוּ לְךָ שָׁם וְהָיָה אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ זֶה יֵלֵךְ אִתָּךְ הוּא יֵלֵךְ אִתָּךְ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ זֶה לֹא יֵלֵךְ עִמָּךְ הוּא לֹא יֵלֵךְ

The Lord said to Gideon: The people are still too many; take them down to the water of Ein Harod, and I will refine them for you there, I will have them undergo an ordeal on your behalf. It shall be, whomever I will say to you: This one shall go with you, he will go with you; and anyone of whom I will say to you: This one shall not go with you, he will not go.

וַיּוֹרֶד אֶת הָעָם אֶל הַמָּיִם וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל גִּדְעוֹן כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָלֹק בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ מִן הַמַּיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלֹק הַכֶּלֶב תַּצִּיג אוֹתוֹ לְבָד וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִכְרַע עַל בִּרְכָּיו לִשְׁתּוֹת

He took the people down to the water to drink. Although Ein Harod is not a large spring, it was sufficient for the warriors’ needs. And the Lord said to Gideon: This will be your sign: Anyone who laps with his tongue from the water, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself, and anyone who kneels on his knees to drink. Dogs do not lap water with their paws; rather, they lower their heads to the water to drink. The instruction was: Divide the men between those who kneel to the ground to drink like dogs and those who raise the water to their mouths with their hands.

וַיְהִי מִסְפַּר הַמְלַקְקִים בְּיָדָם אֶל פִּיהֶם שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וְכֹל יֶתֶר הָעָם כָּרְעוּ עַל בִּרְכֵיהֶם לִשְׁתּוֹת מָיִם

The number of those who lapped with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; all the rest of the people kneeled on their knees to drink water.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל גִּדְעוֹן בִּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הָאִישׁ הַמְלַקְקִים אוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת מִדְיָן בְּיָדֶךָ וְכָל הָעָם יֵלְכוּ אִישׁ לִמְקֹמוֹ

The Lord said to Gideon: With the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and I will deliver Midyan into your hand; all the rest of the people, each shall go to his place.

וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת צֵדָה הָעָם בְּיָדָם וְאֵת שׁוֹפְרֹתֵיהֶם וְאֵת כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלַּח אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וּבִשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הָאִישׁ הֶחֱזִיק וּמַחֲנֵה מִדְיָן הָיָה לוֹ מִתַּחַת בָּעֵמֶק

They took the provisions of the people in their hand, and their shofars, for the remaining soldiers; all the rest of the men of Israel, he sent each to his tent, and he kept three hundred men. After initially acting like a typical general, mobilizing an army of over thirty thousand troops, Gideon adopts a miraculous leadership model, and sends home almost all of his fighting force. The camp of Midyan was below him in the valley. Gideon and his men deployed in an elevated position, while the Midyanites were more comfortably camped in the relatively level valley, where they felt secure and confident.

וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו ה' קוּם רֵד בַּמַּחֲנֶה כִּי נְתַתִּיו בְּיָדֶךָ

It was that night, and the Lord said to him: Rise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.

וְאִם יָרֵא אַתָּה לָרֶדֶת רֵד אַתָּה וּפֻרָה נַעַרְךָ אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה

And if you fear and remain hesitant to go down, you and your lad Pura go down to the camp of the Midyanites, on a reconnaissance mission.

וְשָׁמַעְתָּ מַה יְדַבֵּרוּ וְאַחַר תֶּחֱזַקְנָה יָדֶיךָ וְיָרַדְתָּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה וַיֵּרֶד הוּא וּפֻרָה נַעֲרוֹ אֶל קְצֵה הַחֲמֻשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה

You shall hear what they speak, and then, when you have overheard their comments, your hands will be strong, you will be encouraged, and go down against the camp. He, Gideon, went down stealthily with his lad Pura to the edge of the armed men who were in the Midyanite camp. Notwithstanding the Midyanites’ sense of security, their camp was guarded by armed men; however, both in terms of number and in terms of deployment, the defense was inadequate.

וּמִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וְכָל בְּנֵי קֶדֶם נֹפְלִים בָּעֵמֶק כָּאַרְבֶּה לָרֹב וְלִגְמַלֵּיהֶם אֵין מִסְפָּר כַּחוֹל שֶׁעַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹב

Midyan, and Amalek, and all the children of the east were lying, or dispersed, in the valley, filling it like locusts in abundance, and their camels were countless, like the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.

וַיָּבֹא גִדְעוֹן וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מְסַפֵּר לְרֵעֵהוּ חֲלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה חֲלוֹם חָלַמְתִּי וְהִנֵּה צְלִיל לֶחֶם שְׂעֹרִים מִתְהַפֵּךְ בְּמַחֲנֵה מִדְיָן וַיָּבֹא עַד הָאֹהֶל וַיַּכֵּהוּ וַיִּפֹּל וַיַּהַפְכֵהוּ לְמַעְלָה ונָפַל הָאֹהֶל

Gideon came silently at night, and behold, a man was relating a dream to another, saying: Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a loaf [tzelil] of barley bread was tumbling. Some explain tzelil to mean sound and understand the verse: The sound of barley bread tumbling was heard in the camp of Midyan. Evidently this was a round loaf of bread. And it came to a tent, and struck it, and it fell, and it overturned it, and the tent fell. The round loaf rolled onto the Midyanite tent, presumably from above, and despite its minimal size and weight, it overturned and flattened the tent.

וַיַּעַן רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין זֹאת בִּלְתִּי אִם חֶרֶב גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹאָשׁ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נָתַן הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ אֶת מִדְיָן וְאֶת כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה

His counterpart answered and said: That inexpensive, edible barley cake is an allusion to nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Yo’ash, man of Israel. Barley [se’ora] is an allusion to tumult and storm [se’ara]. This means that into his hand God has delivered Midyan and the entire camp. Although clearly the Midyanites were aware that Gideon had mobilized the Israelite troops, an elaborate process that must have taken time, presumably they did not consider him a serious threat. However, the dream of a small roll of simple bread overturning an entire tent was an indication that a minor, insignificant entity could wreak havoc on the Midyanite camp.

וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ גִּדְעוֹן אֶת מִסְפַּר הַחֲלוֹם וְאֶת שִׁבְרוֹ וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיָּשָׁב אֶל מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר קוּמוּ! כִּי נָתַן ה' בְּיֶדְכֶם אֶת מַחֲנֵה מִדְיָן

It was upon Gideon’s hearing the recounting of the dream and its interpretation, in which he and his hopes were explicitly mentioned, that he prostrated himself before God; and he returned to the camp of Israel and said: Rise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midyan into your hand.

וַיַּחַץ אֶת שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הָאִישׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים וַיִּתֵּן שׁוֹפָרוֹת בְּיַד כֻּלָּם וְכַדִּים רֵקִים וְלַפִּדִים בְּתוֹךְ הַכַּדִּים

Gideon did not suffice with an announcement; he took action: He divided the three hundred men into three columns and put shofars into the hands of all of them, and empty jugs, and torches inside the jugs. Each man had a shofar, and a torch concealed in a jug.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מִמֶּנִּי תִרְאוּ וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּ וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָא בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה וְהָיָה כַאֲשֶׁר אֶעֱשֶׂה כֵּן תַּעֲשׂוּן

He said to them: Look to me, and do likewise. I will demonstrate what you shall do. Behold, I am coming to the edge of the camp, and it shall be that as I do, so you shall do.

וְתָקַעְתִּי בַּשּׁוֹפָר אָנֹכִי וְכָל אֲשֶׁר אִתִּי וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת גַּם אַתֶּם סְבִיבוֹת כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַאֲמַרְתֶּם לַה' וּלְגִדְעוֹן!

I will sound the shofar, I and all who are with me; you, too, shall sound the shofars all around the entire camp, and say, shout the slogan: For the Lord and for Gideon.

וַיָּבֹא גִדְעוֹן וּמֵאָה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה רֹאשׁ הָאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַתִּיכוֹנָה אַךְ הָקֵם הֵקִימוּ אֶת הַשֹּׁמְרִים וַיִּתְקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וְנָפוֹץ הַכַּדִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם

Gideon and the one hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just woken the guards. The guards of the middle watch had just been awoken to replace the first watch guarding the Midyanite camp. The timing of the attack during the changing of the guards caused additional confusion, as the guards were not yet at their posts. Therefore, they were not in position to observe the source of the noise and the light. They sounded the shofars, and they shattered the jugs that were in their hands. The loud noise of the shofars was amplified by the commotion of the smashing of the jugs, at which point the torches were suddenly exposed.

וַיִּתְקְעוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָרָאשִׁים בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וַיִּשְׁבְּרוּ הַכַּדִּים וַיַּחֲזִיקוּ בְיַד שְׂמֹאולָם בַּלַּפִּדִים וּבְיַד יְמִינָם הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת לִתְקוֹעַ וַיִּקְרְאוּ חֶרֶב לַה' וּלְגִדְעוֹן!

The three companies sounded the shofars, and they broke the jugs; in their left hand they held the torches and in their right hands the shofars for sounding, and they called: The sword for the Lord and for Gideon! The actions of Gideon and his one hundred men signaled the others to follow suit.

וַיַּעַמְדוּ אִישׁ תַּחְתָּיו סָבִיב לַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּרָץ כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּרִיעוּ וַיָּנוּסוּ

They, Gideon’s soldiers, stood, each man in his place around the camp, without entering the enemy camp; and the entire camp ran in terror from the noise and the lights of the torches; and they screamed and fled. Since it was nighttime, they were unable to gauge the number of soldiers behind all this commotion.

וַיִּתְקְעוּ שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וַיָּשֶׂם ה' אֵת חֶרֶב אִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ וּבְכָל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּנָס הַמַּחֲנֶה עַד בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה צְרֵרָתָה עַד שְׂפַת אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה עַל טַבָּת

They again sounded the three hundred shofars. And when some of the Midyanites attempted to find their weapons in order to fight back, the Lord set each man’s sword against his counterpart, throughout the entire camp. The Midyanites did not have an organized army ready for battle; rather, it was more like a camp of thieves, surrounded by guards, seeking to plunder the produce of the land. When they took their swords and ran around in the darkness, disorganized and unable to identify the enemy’s location, chaos reigned, panic spread, and the Midyanite men began striking each other. The camp fled to Beit Shita, and from there toward Tzerera, to the border of Avel Mehola, by Tabat. Although Gideon’s small army surrounded them from several sides, it did not completely encircle them, thereby enabling the Midyanites to escape.

וַיִּצָּעֵק אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנַּפְתָּלִי וּמִן אָשֵׁר וּמִן כָּל מְנַשֶּׁה וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אַחֲרֵי מִדְיָן

Then, the men of Israel mobilized from Naphtali, and from Asher, and from all of Manasseh, and they pursued after Midyan. When they heard that the Midyanites were fleeing, all those who had previously been discharged from the army returned with renewed confidence and joined the pursuit. The tribes of Israel were not organized as a regular army; however, they came with makeshift weapons or agricultural tools to smite Midyan.

וּמַלְאָכִים שָׁלַח גִּדְעוֹן בְּכָל הַר אֶפְרַיִם לֵאמֹר רְדוּ לִקְרַאת מִדְיָן וְלִכְדוּ לָהֶם אֶת הַמַּיִם עַד בֵּית בָּרָה וְאֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּצָּעֵק כָּל אִישׁ אֶפְרַיִם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת הַמַּיִם עַד בֵּית בָּרָה וְאֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן

Gideon sent messengers throughout the highlands of Ephraim, saying: Go down toward Midyan, east of the Jordan, and capture the water sources that they will pass in their escape to slake their thirst, from them up to Beit Bara, and the Jordan. Seize the crossings of the Jordan River, and thereby hinder their escape. All the men of Ephraim mobilized, and they captured the water up to Beit Bara, and the Jordan.

וַיִּלְכְּדוּ שְׁנֵי שָׂרֵי מִדְיָן אֶת עֹרֵב וְאֶת זְאֵב וַיַּהַרְגוּ אֶת עוֹרֵב בְּצוּר עוֹרֵב וְאֶת זְאֵב הָרְגוּ בְיֶקֶב זְאֵב וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אֶל מִדְיָן וְרֹאשׁ עֹרֵב וּזְאֵב הֵבִיאוּ אֶל גִּדְעוֹן מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן

During the battle, they captured the two princes, leaders of the bands of Midyan, Orev and Ze’ev. These were either their actual names or nicknames, as orev means raven and ze’ev means wolf. And they killed Orev at the rock of Orev, and Ze’ev they killed at the winepress of Ze’ev. The locations were named for these events. And they continued and pursued the Midyanites in the direction of Midyan. They brought the heads of Orev and Ze’ev to Gideon across the Jordan. After Gideon routed the main camp of Midyan in the Yizre’el Valley, and the Midyanites fled across the Jordan River, he and his men continued to chase them, while others killed their military leaders. Gideon’s aim was not to stop the Midyanites’ flight, but to inflict upon them as many casualties as possible. Therefore, he remained across the Jordan, in the direction where the Midyanites had fled, in a place where the battle might be re-engaged. The skulls of the princes who had been captured and killed by Israel were sent to him there.