71 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon ) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod ; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley . 2 The Lord said to Gideon , "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands , for Israel would become boastful , saying , 'My own power has delivered me.' 3 "Now therefore come , proclaim in the hearing of the people , saying , ' Whoever is afraid and trembling , let him return and depart from Mount Gilead .' " So 22,000 e e people returned , but 10,000 e remained . 4 Then the Lord said to Gideon , "The people are still too many ; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there . Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go ." 5 So he brought the people down to the water . And the Lord said to Gideon , "You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps , as well as everyone who kneels e to drink ." 6 Now the number of those who lapped , putting their hand to their mouth , was 300 e men ; but all the rest of the people kneeled e to drink water . 7 The Lord said to Gideon , "I will deliver you with the 300 e men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands ; so let all the other people go , each man to his home ." 8 So the 300 men took the people's provisions and their trumpets into their hands . And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel , each to his tent , but retained the 300 e men ; and the camp of Midian was below e him in the valley .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 7:1-8
Commentary on Judges 7:1-8.
(Read Judges 7:1-8.)
God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed. Activity and prudence go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings. When the Lord sees that men would overlook him, and through unbelief, would shrink from perilous services, or that through pride they would vaunt themselves against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by other instruments. Pretences will be found by many, for deserting the cause and escaping the cross. But though a religious society may thus be made fewer in numbers, yet it will gain as to purity, and may expect an increased blessing from the Lord. God chooses to employ such as are not only well affected, but zealously affected in a good thing. They grudged not at the liberty of the others who were dismissed. In doing the duties required by God, we must not regard the forwardness or backwardness of others, nor what they do, but what God looks for at our hands. He is a rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts or blessings, or in liberty; so that we may say, it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, and not look to men what they do.