The Meaning of Judges 7:22 Explained

Judges 7:22

KJV: And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

YLT: and the three hundred blow the trumpets, and Jehovah setteth the sword of each against his companion, even through all the camp; and the camp fleeth unto Beth-Shittah, at Zererath, unto the border of Abel-Meholah, by Tabbath.

Darby: When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shit'tah toward Zer'erah, as far as the border of A'bel-meho'lah, by Tabbath.

ASV: And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the three  hundred  blew  the trumpets,  and the LORD  set  every man's  sword  against his fellow,  even throughout all the host:  and the host  fled  to Bethshittah  in Zererath,  [and] to the border  of Abelmeholah,  unto Tabbath. 

What does Judges 7:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 7:9-23 - The Sword Of Jehovah And Of Gideon
Gideon asked for the sign of the fleece, but God, without his asking, gave him that of the barley-cake. It was only barley-bread, the cheapest and commonest kind of food, but it overthrew a tent. Gideon was quick to recognize the symbol of his weakness and helplessness, but he recognized also the presage of victory. Lying there in the moonless night, with his head toward that tent, he worshiped and hastened back to his camp. We remember what Jesus made of barley-loaves. See John 6:9; John 6:13.
The blare of the trumpets, the breaking of the pitchers, the flashing of the lights, and the shouting from three sides of the camp startled the sleeping host into panic. Surely this scene was in Paul's thought when he said that God's light had shone forth on the midnight darkness of that age; and then confessed that the light was contained in the earthen vessel of mortality, "that the excellency of the power might be of God." Let us not be too greatly disturbed when the sorrows and persecutions of earth break up our peace and strength-this is the breaking of the earthen vessel. Our business must be to see that the torch burns within, 2 Corinthians 4:6, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 7

1  Gideon's army of thirty-two thousand is brought to three hundred
9  He is encouraged by the dream and interpretation of the burley cake
16  His plan of trumpets and lamps in pitchers
24  The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb

What do the individual words in Judges 7:22 mean?

And when blew three the hundred the trumpets and set Yahweh - sword of every man against his companion and throughout whole the camp and fled the army to in Beth Acacia toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah by Tabbath
וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֮ שְׁלֹשׁ־ מֵא֣וֹת הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת֒ וַיָּ֣שֶׂם יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֣ת חֶ֥רֶב אִ֛ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֖הוּ וּבְכָל־ הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיָּ֨נָס הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֜ה עַד־ בֵּ֤ית הַשִּׁטָּה֙ צְֽרֵרָ֔תָה עַ֛ד שְׂפַת־ אָבֵ֥ל מְחוֹלָ֖ה עַל־ טַבָּֽת

וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֮  And  when  blew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תֹּוקְעִים 
Sense: to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.
שְׁלֹשׁ־  three 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
מֵא֣וֹת  the  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת֒  the  trumpets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֹׁופָר  
Sense: horn, ram’s horn.
וַיָּ֣שֶׂם  and  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֶ֥רֶב  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
אִ֛ישׁ  of  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּרֵעֵ֖הוּ  against  his  companion 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וּבְכָל־  and  throughout  whole 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה  the  camp 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
וַיָּ֨נָס  and  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֜ה  the  army 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
הַשִּׁטָּה֙  Beth  Acacia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה 
Sense: an unknown location, perhaps an acacia grove.
צְֽרֵרָ֔תָה  toward  Zererah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צְרֵרָה  
Sense: a town or territory in Manasseh and the home of Jeroboam.
עַ֛ד  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
שְׂפַת־  the  border 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
מְחוֹלָ֖ה  Abel  Meholah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָבֵל מְחֹולָה 
Sense: a city of Issachar, birthplace of Elisha.
טַבָּֽת  Tabbath 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: טַבָּת  
Sense: site near which Gideon’s pursuit of the Midianites stopped; site unknown.