Judges 7:13
New International Version
Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

New Living Translation
Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”

English Standard Version
When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”

Berean Standard Bible
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

King James Bible
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

New King James Version
And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”

New American Standard Bible
When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent collapsed.”

NASB 1995
When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

NASB 1977
When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

Amplified Bible
When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, “Listen carefully, I had a dream: there was a loaf of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

Christian Standard Bible
When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, “Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, “Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.”

American Standard Version
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

Contemporary English Version
Gideon overheard one enemy guard telling another, "I had a dream about a flat loaf of barley bread that came tumbling into our camp. It hit the headquarters tent, and the tent flipped over and fell to the ground."

English Revised Version
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, that the tent lay along.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Gideon got there, he heard a man telling his friend a dream. The man said, "I had a strange dream. There was a loaf of barley bread rolling around in the camp of Midian. When it got to the command post, the loaf of bread hit that tent so hard that the tent collapsed, turned upside down, and fell flat."

Good News Translation
When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He was saying, "I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp and hit a tent. The tent collapsed and lay flat on the ground."

International Standard Version
Gideon arrived just as a soldier was talking to a friend about a dream. "Look!" he was saying. "I had a dream that went like this: A loaf of barley bread rolled into the Midianite encampment, came to a tent, and collided with it. The loaf of bread fell down, turned upside down, and the tent collapsed!"

Majority Standard Bible
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. ?Behold, I had a dream,? he said, ?and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.?

NET Bible
When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had. The man said, "Look! I had a dream. I saw a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed."

New Heart English Bible
When Gideon had come, look, there was a man telling a dream to his friend; and he said, "Look, I had a dream, and look, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent collapsed."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when Gideon had come, behold, there was a man that told a dream to his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread rolled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it that the tent lay along.

World English Bible
When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Gideon comes in, and behold, a man is recounting a dream to his companion, and says, “Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley-bread is turning itself over into the camp of Midian, and it comes to the tent, and strikes it, and it falls, and turns it upwards, and the tent has fallen.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Gideon cometh in, and lo, a man is recounting to his companion a dream, and saith, 'Lo, a dream I have dreamed, and lo, a cake of barley-bread is turning itself over into the camp of Midian, and it cometh in unto the tent, and smiteth it, and it falleth, and turneth it upwards, and the tent hath fallen.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Gideon will come, and behold, a man recounting a dream to his neighbor; and he will say, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a round cake of barley bread rolling into the camp of Midian; and it will come even to the tent, and it will strike it, and it will fall and will turn it over, so that the tent fell.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Gedeon was come, one told his neighbour a dream: and in this manner related what he had seen: I dreamt a dream, and it seemed to me as if a hearth cake of barley bread rolled and came down into the camp of Madian: and when it was come to a tent it struck it, and beat it down flat to the ground.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when Gideon had arrived, someone told his neighbor a dream. And he related what he had seen, in this way: “I saw a dream, and it seemed to me as if bread, baked under ashes from rolled barley, descended into the camp of Midian. And whenever it arrived at a tent, it struck it, and overturned it, and utterly leveled it to the ground.”

New American Bible
When Gideon arrived, one man was telling another about a dream. “I had a dream,” he said, “that a round loaf of barley bread was rolling into the camp of Midian. It came to a certain tent and struck it and turned it upside down, and the tent collapsed.”

New Revised Standard Version
When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, “I had a dream, and in it a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell; it turned upside down, and the tent collapsed.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when Gideon was come, behold, a man was relating a dream to his fellow, and he said to him, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came as far as a tent, and struck it on the top, and the tent fell down.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Gedun came and he saw a man reporting to his neighbor a dream and he said to him: “I saw in my dream, a cake of rye bread rolled into the camp of Midian and it came onto the tent and it rolled above and the tent fell”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his follow, and saying: 'Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, that the tent lay flat.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Gedeon came, and behold a man was relating to his neighbour a dream, and he said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread rolling into the camp of Madiam, and it came as far as a tent, and smote it, and it fell, and it turned it up, and the tent fell.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gideon's Dream
12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.” 14His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”…

Cross References
Daniel 2:31-35
As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. / The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, / its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay. ...

Isaiah 41:15-16
Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. / You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Psalm 83:9-12
Do to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon, / who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground. / Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, ...

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. / We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Isaiah 9:4
For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. / He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, / so that no one may boast in His presence.

2 Kings 7:6-7
For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.” / Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

Isaiah 10:26
And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.

Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, / who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, / quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

Jeremiah 51:20-23
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. / With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. / With you I shatter man and woman; with you I shatter the old man and the youth; with you I shatter the young man and the maiden. ...

1 Samuel 14:6-15
Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” / His armor-bearer replied, “Do all that is in your heart. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” / “Very well,” said Jonathan, “we will cross over toward these men and show ourselves to them. ...

Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.

2 Chronicles 20:15-17
And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. / Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. / You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Treasury of Scripture

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream to his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, see, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

lo, a cake

Judges 3:15,31
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab…

Judges 4:9,21
And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh…

Judges 6:15
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

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Barley Bread Cake Camp Dream Dreamed Host Lay Midian Smote Struck Telling Tent Turned Upside
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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














Gideon arrived
This phrase marks a pivotal moment in the narrative. Gideon, whose name means "hewer" or "one who cuts down," arrives at the precise moment to overhear a conversation that would bolster his faith. The timing of his arrival is divinely orchestrated, emphasizing God's sovereignty and perfect timing in the unfolding of His plans. Historically, Gideon is a judge of Israel, chosen by God to deliver His people from the oppression of the Midianites, a nomadic people who had been raiding Israel.

just as a man was telling his friend about a dream
Dreams in the ancient Near East were often considered messages from the divine. This context highlights the significance of the dream as a means of divine communication. The fact that Gideon overhears this conversation underscores the providential nature of God's guidance. The Hebrew word for "dream" (חֲלוֹם, chalom) suggests a vision or revelation, indicating that God is revealing His will and assurance to Gideon through this seemingly ordinary exchange.

Behold, I had a dream
The word "Behold" (הִנֵּה, hinneh) is an attention-grabbing term, used frequently in Scripture to draw the reader's focus to something significant. The speaker's declaration of having a dream sets the stage for a revelation that is both unexpected and profound. In the biblical narrative, dreams often serve as a medium for God to communicate His plans, as seen in the accounts of Joseph and Daniel.

a loaf of barley bread
Barley was considered a humble grain, often associated with the poor or those of low status. The imagery of a barley loaf symbolizes the seemingly insignificant and weak nature of Gideon's army, which God uses to achieve a great victory. This reflects a recurring biblical theme where God uses the weak and humble to confound the mighty, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:27.

came tumbling into the Midianite camp
The action of the loaf "tumbling" (הָפַךְ, haphak) suggests an unexpected and unstoppable force. This imagery conveys the idea that God's intervention, though it may appear small or insignificant at first, is powerful and effective. The Midianite camp represents the oppressive forces against Israel, and the dream foreshadows their impending defeat.

It struck a tent, overturned it, and flattened it
The tent, a symbol of the Midianite presence and power, is struck, overturned, and flattened by the barley loaf. This sequence of actions illustrates the totality of the victory that God will grant to Gideon and his men. The Hebrew word for "overturned" (הָפַךְ, haphak) is the same used for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, indicating a complete and decisive overthrow. The flattening of the tent signifies the utter defeat and humiliation of the Midianites, reinforcing the message that God is the ultimate source of victory for His people.

(13) Behold, I dreamed a dream.--Since dreams, no less than the Bath Kol, were recognised channels for Divine intimations (Genesis 41:12; Numbers 12:6; 1Samuel 28:6; Joel 2:28, &c.), Gideon would feel doubly assured.

A cake.--The Hebrew word tsalol (or tselil in the Keri, or margin) is a word which occurs nowhere else. Rabbis Kimchi and Tanchun derive it from tsalal, "he tinkled" (as in tselselim and other names for musical instruments), or "he overshadowed." Neither derivation yields any sense. The Chaldee, Syriac, and Rashi render it "a cake baked on coals," and so, too, the LXX. (since such is the meaning of magie), the Vulgate (panis subcinericius), and Josephus (maza krithin?); this seems to be the true sense. Ewald makes it mean "a dry rattling crust." Niebuhr tells us that the desert Arabs thrust a round lump of dough into hot ashes, then take it out and eat it. (Arab., p. 52.)

Of barley bread.--Josephus helps us to see the significance of the symbol by adding, "which men can (hardly) eat for its coarseness." It must be remembered that the Israelites had been reduced to such poverty by these raids that the mass of them would have nothing to subsist on but common barley bread such as that used to this day, with bitter complaints, by the Fellahin of Palestine. Among the Greeks also "barley bread" was proverbial as a kind of food hardly fit to be eaten, although such was the poverty which the Saviour bore for our sakes that it seems to have been the ordinary food of Him and His apostles (John 6:9). "A cake of barley bread" would, therefore, naturally recall the thought of the Israelites, who were no doubt taunted by their enemies with being reduced to this food; just as Dr. Johnson defined oats as "food for horses in England, and for men in Scotland." Thus, in 1Kings 4:28, the "barley" is only for the horses and dromedaries. "If the Midianites were accustomed to call Gideon and his band 'eaters of barley bread,' as their successors, the haughty Bedouins, often do to ridicule their enemies, the application would be the more natural" (Thomson, Land and Book, p. 447). Josephus makes the soldier say that, as barley is the vilest of all seed, so the Israelites were the vilest of all the people of Asia. . . .

Verse 13. - A cake. The Hebrew word occurs nowhere else. Of barley bread. The commonest kind of bread, the food of only the poorer classes, indicating, therefore, the humble origin and station of Gideon. A tent. Rather, the tent; what in a Roman camp would be the pretorium, the general's tent. The words at the end of the verse are heaped up to indicate the total and entire upsetting and overthrow of the tent, symbolic of the rout and destruction of the Midianite host.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And as Gideon
גִדְע֔וֹן (ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1439: Gideon -- a judge of Israel

arrived,
וַיָּבֹ֣א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

a man
אִ֔ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

was telling
מְסַפֵּ֥ר (mə·sap·pêr)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate

his friend
לְרֵעֵ֖הוּ (lə·rê·‘ê·hū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

about a dream.
חֲל֑וֹם (ḥă·lō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2472: A dream

“Behold,
הִנֵּ֧ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I had a dream,”
חֲל֣וֹם (ḥă·lō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2472: A dream

he said,
וַיֹּ֜אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“and I saw
וְהִנֵּ֨ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

a loaf
צְלִ֜יל (ṣə·lîl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6742: A cake, round loaf

of barley
שְׂעֹרִים֙ (śə·‘ō·rîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8184: Barley

bread
לֶ֤חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

come
וַיָּבֹ֣א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

tumbling
מִתְהַפֵּךְ֙ (miṯ·hap·pêḵ)
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

into the Midianite
מִדְיָ֔ן (miḏ·yān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4080: Midian -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his descendants and the region where they settled

camp.
בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה (bə·ma·ḥă·nêh)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

It struck
וַיַּכֵּ֧הוּ (way·yak·kê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

the tent
הָ֠אֹהֶל (hā·’ō·hel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent

so hard that
וַיִּפֹּ֛ל (way·yip·pōl)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

the tent
הָאֹֽהֶל׃ (hā·’ō·hel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent

overturned
וַיַּהַפְכֵ֥הוּ (way·ya·hap̄·ḵê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

and collapsed.”
וְנָפַ֥ל (wə·nā·p̄al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT History: Judges 7:13 When Gideon had come behold there was (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 7:12
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