Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 7:24
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.
24. Gideon sends a message (cf. Jdg 6:35) to the Ephraimites in the country S. of the battlefield, urging them to seize the fords, and so to meet the Midianites as they come flying down the Jordan valley. Cf. Jdg 3:27 f., Jdg 12:5 f.
the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and also Jordan (marg.)] As the text stands, the waters are distinguished from Jordan; hence Moore suggests that the waters refer to the Wadi Fr‘a, a perennial stream which empties itself into the Jordan near the ford of Dmiyeh; but the stream is not large enough to offer any serious obstacle, it would not be worth holding: the waters most naturally mean those of the Jordan; and also Jordan will then be either a gloss added to explain the waters, or a mistake for upon the Jordan, as the Peshitto reads; ‘upon’ = ‘on the bank of,’ as in Jdg 5:19, Num 22:5, Deu 3:12, etc. Beth-barah has not been discovered; the context implies that it lay S. of the Ephraimite country near the Jordan. The Verss. give the pronunciation Beth-brah, as if meaning ‘house of the well.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The waters – The streams which run from the mountain district of Ephraim into the Jordan in the district of Beth-shan, forming great pools and marshes, which the Midianites fleeing south would have to cross before they could reach the Jordan fords.
All the men of Ephraim – They had taken no previous part in the rising against Midian: nor had Gideon, of the smaller tribe of Manasseh, presumed before to summon his more powerful and arrogant brethren of the great tribe of Ephraim (see Jos 17:14-18).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. Take before them the waters unto Beth-barah] This is probably the same place as that mentioned Joh 1:28, where the Hebrews forded Jordan under the direction of Joshua. To this place the Midianites directed their flight that they might escape into their own country; and here, being met by the Ephraimites, they appear to have been totally overthrown, and their two generals taken.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Take before them the waters unto Beth-barah, i.e. the passes over those waters to which they are like to come.
And Jordan; the fords of Jordan, which river they must pass over into their own country.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24, 25. Gideon sent messengersthroughout all mount EphraimThe Ephraimites lay on the southand could render seasonable aid.
Come . . . take before themthe waters unto Beth-barah(See on Jud3:28). These were the northern fords of the Jordan, to theeast-northeast of wady Maleh.
the men of Ephraim gatheredthemselves together . . . unto Beth-barahA new conflictensued, in which two secondary chiefs were seized and slain on thespots where they were respectively taken. The spots were named afterthese chiefs, Oreb, “the Raven,” and Zeeb, “theWolf”appropriate designations of Arab leaders.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim,…. To raise the inhabitants of it, who lay nearer Jordan, to which the Midianites would make, in order to intercept them in their flight; or however get possession of the fords of Jordan before them, and hinder their passage over it:
saying, come down against the Midianites; for though he had routed them, and they were fled before him, yet he had not men enough with him to destroy them; and besides, as they had their camels to ride on, and he and his men only on foot, they could not come up with them:
and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan; namely, all the fords and passages over Jordan, reaching from the lake of Gennesaret to Bethbarah, the same with Bethabara, Joh 1:28 which was a passage over Jordan; or these waters were, as Kimchi thinks, distinct from those of Jordan; and were waters that lay in the way of the flight of the Midianites, before they came to Bethbarah, their passage over Jordan; and Jarchi thinks they were waters, which divided between Syria and the land of Canaan, which is not likely; others think the waters are the same with Jordan, and render the words, “take the waters” –even Jordan o; gain the passes over that before them, and so prevent their escape to their own land:
then all the men of Ephraim; that is, great numbers of them, whose hearts were inclined to, and whose situation lay best for this service:
gathered themselves together; in a body, at some place of rendezvous appointed:
and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan; took possession of all the passes, and guarded them, as Gideon directed.
o “Nempe Jordanis aquas”, Junius Tremellius “nempe Jordanem”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In order to cut off the retreat of the enemy who was flying to the Jordan, Gideon sent messengers into the whole of the mountains of Ephraim with this appeal to the Ephraimites, “ Come down (from your mountains into the lowlands of the Jordan) to meet Midian, and take the waters from them to Bethbarah and the Jordan, ” sc., by taking possession of this district (see Jdg 3:28). “ The waters,” mentioned before the Jordan and distinguished from it, must have been streams across which the flying foe would have to cross to reach the Jordan, namely, the different brooks and rivers, such as Wady Maleh, Fyadh, Jamel, Tubs, etc., which flowed down from the eastern side of the mountains of Ephraim into the Jordan, and ran through the Ghor to Bethbarah. The situation of Bethbarah is unknown. Even Eusebius could say nothing definite concerning the place; and the conjecture that it is the same as Bethabara, which has been regarded ever since the time of Origen as the place mentioned in Joh 1:28 where John baptized, throws no light upon the subject, as the situation of Bethabara is also unknown, to say nothing of the fact that the identity of the two names is very questionable. The Ephraimites responded to this appeal and took possession of the waters mentioned, before the Midianites, who could only move slowly with their flocks and herds, were able to reach the Jordan. They then captured two of the princes of the Midianites and put them to death: one of them, Oreb, i.e., the raven, at the rock Oreb; the other, Zeeb, i.e., the wolf, at the wine-press of Zeeb. Nothing further is known about these two places. The rock of Oreb is only mentioned again in Isa 10:26, when the prophet alludes to this celebrated victory. So much, however, is evident from the verse before us, viz., that the Midianites were beaten by the Ephraimites at both places, and that the two princes fell there, and the places received their names from that circumstance. They were not situated in the land to the east of the Jordan, as Gesenius (on Isa 10:26), Rosenmller, and others infer from the fact that the Ephraimites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon (Jdg 7:25), but on the western side of the Jordan, where the Ephraimites had taken possession of the waters and the Jordan in front of the Midianites. does not mean “from the other side of the Jordan,” but simply “ on the other side of (beyond) the Jordan,” as in Jos 13:32; Jos 18:7; 1Ki 14:15; and the statement here is not that the Ephraimites brought the heads from the other side to Gideon on the west of the river, but that they brought them to Gideon when he was in the land to the east of the Jordan. This explanation of the words is required by the context, as well as by the foregoing remark, “they pursued Midian,” according to which the Ephraimites continued the pursuit of the Midianites after slaying these princes, and also by the complaint brought against Gideon by the Ephraimites, which is not mentioned till afterwards (Jdg 8:1.), that he had not summoned them to the war. It is true, this is given before the account of Gideon’s crossing over the Jordan (Jdg 8:4), but in order of time it did not take place till afterwards, and, as Bertheau has correctly shown, the historical sequence is somewhat anticipated.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Gideons Victory Jdg. 7:24-25
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
15.
What were the waters of Beth-barah? Jdg. 7:24
The name Beth-barah is a compound of two Hebrew words, beth and barah, and it means house of the ford. Presumably, these fords were the outlets of the streams which ran down from the mountains of Ephraim in the vicinity of Beth-shan, where Gideon won his victory. It was at this place that Jacob crossed the Jordan on his return from Haran, and it was here that Jephtha slew the Ephraimites in a later episode. Van de Velde identified this spot as the crossing of the Jordan, which is on the road from Nablus in Israel to Es Salt in Jordan.
16.
What were the Rock of Oreb and the Winepress of Zeeb? Jdg. 7:25
They were west of Jordan where Ephraim possessed the fords. The winepress was probably in the vicinity. These locations were so named because Zeeb and Oreb were slain there. These memorials were probably well known in the days when Judges was written. The land of Israel abounds in rocks, stones, winepresses, altars, and other reminders of the way in which God blessed His people. These two memorials were of that nature.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(24) Throughout all mount Ephraim.He had not ventured to summon these haughty clansmen before his victory was assured.
Take before them the waters.i.e., intercept their flight unto Beth-barah and Jordan. The waters are probably the marshes formed by streams which flow from the watershed of the hills of Ephraim into the Jordan.
Beth-barah.House of the waste, not, as Jerome says, of the well. It can hardly be the Bethabara (house of the passage) of Joh. 1:28, which seems to be too far south.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. Sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim The Ephraimites had not been summoned to the war, (compare Jdg 8:1,) but are now called upon to intercept the flight of the foe.
The waters unto Beth-barah The various mountain torrents and water-courses which the Midianites would have to cross in order to reach Beth-barah and the fords of the Jordan. Others understand the waters of the Jordan at Beth-barah. The site of Beth-barah is unknown.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, come down against Midian and take before them the waters as far as Bethbarah, even the Jordan.’
Not wanting the enemy to escape too easily Gideon sent fast messengers to Ephraim and asked them to move down and guard the fords. The flight would take time, for some would at some point stand and fight, others would make for the hills until the way seemed clear, while their panic meant that they had not been ready for the journey and many would be on foot. So they would not move as fast as the speedy messengers, whom Gideon probably already had standing by.
“So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Bethbarah, even the Jordan.” Ephraim were quick to respond. They stood firm by the covenant. They knew something of what had been happening but had clearly not been so affected, if at all, by the invasion. But they were ready to support their brothers.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 7:24. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim He was desirous, as Bishop Patrick observes, that others should have some share with him in finishing this work, though he alone, with some few, began it, and was exposed to all the danger. “Would to God,” says Peter Martyr on this occasion, “that we were of this spirit in the church of Christ! that when any noble work is begun, we would call in all to help to perfect it! but Gideons are rare; and it is but too common to see the best undertakings defeated by a base jealousy.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
Ver. 24. And Gideon sent messengers. ] As not willing to engross the glory of the victory to himself alone; which yet many in this case would have done. At the battle of Belgrade, where Mohammed the great Turk was defeated and driven out of the field, the chief doers were Capistranus the Pope’s legate, and Hunniades the general of the army. Both these wrote the history of that day’s work: and yet neither of them made any mention at all of the other; but each ascribed to himself the glory of the whole action: whereupon Aeneas Silvins crieth out, Ingens dulcedo gloriae: facilius contemnenda dicitur quam contemnitur. Glory is sweet, and not easily slighted.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mount = hill country.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a Soft Answer Turneth Away Wrath
Jdg 7:24-25; Jdg 8:1-12
The fleeing host made for the three fords of the Jordan, and with all haste Gideon summoned the tribes to anticipate them. The way of the victor was not without its drawbacks and discouragements. Ephraim was wroth; Succoth and Penuel were contemptuous; his own men were faint, though pursuing. But the faith that had won the great victory never wavered. Gideon endured as seeing Him who is invisible. From the eternal source of patience and hope he derived the grace of continuance. This is what Paul also learned and taught in after-years, 2Co 6:4, etc.
When the soul is leaning on God, drawing on his resources and affirming his sufficient grace, it can afford to answer Ephraim pleasantly; it will not shrink from rebuking cowardice in Penuel and Succoth; and it will hold on its victorious way, until the last enemy is destroyed and it enters the presence of God to receive the Well done! Discouraged soul, get alone, shut your door on all other thoughts, and say over and over to God the words with which the good Asaph ends Psa 73:23-28. Let these fill your heart with music till you are strong again.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
sent: Jdg 3:27, Rom 15:30, Phi 1:27
take before: Jdg 3:28, Jdg 12:5
Bethbarah: Probably the same as Betha-bara, beyond Jordan, and at the ford where the Hebrews passed under the direction of Joshua. Joh 1:28
Reciprocal: Jdg 6:33 – went over Jdg 8:3 – God 2Sa 20:21 – a man
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the {m} waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
(m) Meaning, the passages or the fords so they could not escape.