Judges 7:20
New International Version
The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

New Living Translation
Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

English Standard Version
Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Berean Standard Bible
The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

King James Bible
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

New King James Version
Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”

New American Standard Bible
When the three units blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

NASB 1995
When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

NASB 1977
When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing and called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!”

Amplified Bible
When three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow, and they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Christian Standard Bible
The three companies blew their ram’s horns and shattered their pitchers. They held their torches in their left hands and their ram’s horns to blow in their right hands, and they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The three companies blew their trumpets and shattered their pitchers. They held their torches in their left hands, their trumpets in their right hands, and shouted, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!”

American Standard Version
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.

Contemporary English Version
The rest of Gideon's soldiers blew the trumpets they were holding in their right hands. Then they smashed the jars and held the burning torches in their left hands. Everyone shouted, "Fight with your swords for the LORD and for Gideon!"

English Revised Version
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD and of Gideon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The three companies also blew their rams' horns and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the rams' horns in their right hands so that they could blow them. They shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

Good News Translation
and the other two groups did the same. They all held the torches in their left hands, the trumpets in their right, and shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

International Standard Version
When the three companies sounded their trumpets and broke the jars, they held the torches in their left hands and sounded their trumpets with their right hands. Then they cried out, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

Majority Standard Bible
The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

NET Bible
All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. Then they yelled, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

New Heart English Bible
The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they called out, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

World English Bible
The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the three detachments blow with horns, and break the pitchers, and keep hold with their left hand on the lamps, and with their right hand on the horns to blow, and they cry, “The sword of YHWH and of Gideon!”

Young's Literal Translation
and the three detachments blow with trumpets, and break the pitchers, and keep hold with their left hand on the lamps, and with their right hand on the trumpets to blow, and they cry, 'The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the three heads will strike upon the trumpets, and will break the buckets, and they will hold fast in their left hand upon the torches, and in their right hand the trumpets to strike: and they will call the sword for Jehovah and for Gideon.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they sounded their trumpets in three places round about the camp, and had broken their pitchers, they held their lamps in their left hands, and with their right hands the trumpets which they blew, and they cried out: The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon;

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when they had sounded their trumpets in three places around the camp, and had broken their water pitchers, they held the lamps in their left hands, and sounded the trumpets in their right hands. And they cried out, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”

New American Bible
When the three companies had blown their horns and broken their jars, they took the torches in their left hands, and in their right the horns they had been blowing, and cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

New Revised Standard Version
So the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the three companies blew their trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands; and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the three hundred Leaders sounded with the trumpets and they broke the pitchers and they seized the lamps with their left hands, and horns to sound in their right hands and they called out, “The sword for LORD JEHOVAH and for Gedun!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the three companies blew the horns, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the horns in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried: 'The sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and the three companies sounded with the horns, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands their horns to sound with; and they cried out, A sword for the Lord and for Gedeon.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gideon Defeats Midian
19Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.…

Cross References
Exodus 14:16
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

Joshua 6:16
After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!

1 Samuel 14:12
So the men of the outpost called out to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up, and we will teach you a lesson!” “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

2 Chronicles 20:17
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.’”

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.

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.

Jeremiah 51:20
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin.

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.

Zechariah 9:13
For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. / In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Luke 9:1-2
Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases. / And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

John 1:5
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Acts 2:3-4
They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. / And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.


Treasury of Scripture

And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

blew.

Numbers 10:1-10
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

Joshua 6:4,16,20
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets…

Isaiah 27:13
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

brake

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

2 Peter 1:15
Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

Jump to Previous
Bands Blew Blow Blowing Brake Break Broke Broken Companies Cried Cry Detachments Hand Hands Held Hold Holding Horns Jars Lamps Note Pitchers Ready Right Shouted Smashed Sword Three Torches Trumpets Vessels Wherewith Withal
Jump to Next
Bands Blew Blow Blowing Brake Break Broke Broken Companies Cried Cry Detachments Hand Hands Held Hold Holding Horns Jars Lamps Note Pitchers Ready Right Shouted Smashed Sword Three Torches Trumpets Vessels Wherewith Withal
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














The three companies
This phrase refers to the strategic division of Gideon's 300 men into three groups. The number three often symbolizes completeness or divine perfection in the Bible. Historically, dividing forces into smaller units was a common military tactic to create confusion and surprise. Gideon's use of this strategy, under divine guidance, emphasizes the theme of God's wisdom surpassing human understanding.

blew their trumpets
The trumpet, or "shofar" in Hebrew, was traditionally used in Israel for religious ceremonies, to signal war, or to announce important events. The sound of the shofar was associated with the presence and power of God. In this context, the blowing of the trumpets signifies a divine intervention, as it was not the might of the army but the sound that initiated the victory.

broke the jars
The breaking of the jars symbolizes the revelation of God's light and power. The jars, which concealed the torches, represent human frailty and the limitations of earthly vessels. When broken, they reveal the light within, illustrating how God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

held the torches in their left hands
The torch, a symbol of light and guidance, represents the presence of God leading His people. Holding the torches in their left hands, the weaker hand for most, signifies reliance on God's strength rather than human ability. This act of faith demonstrates that victory comes from divine illumination and guidance.

and the trumpets in their right hands to blow
The right hand is often associated with power and authority in biblical texts. By holding the trumpets in their right hands, the men were prepared to proclaim God's victory. This act of faith and obedience underscores the importance of proclaiming God's power and presence in the face of overwhelming odds.

and they shouted
The shout is a declaration of faith and a call to action. In biblical history, shouting often precedes divine intervention, as seen in the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:20). This vocal proclamation serves as a catalyst for God's miraculous deliverance, emphasizing the power of spoken faith.

'A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'
This battle cry acknowledges both divine and human leadership. The "sword" symbolizes God's judgment and deliverance. By invoking the name of the LORD first, the Israelites recognize that the victory belongs to God. Gideon's inclusion signifies his role as God's chosen instrument. This dual acknowledgment highlights the partnership between divine sovereignty and human responsibility in fulfilling God's purposes.

(20) The trumpets in their right hands . . .--Thus they were comparatively defenceless, though, if they had any armour at all, doubtless they could still hold the shield on the left arm, while the sword was girded on the thigh. The effect of the sudden crash and glare and shout upon the vast unwieldy host of the Bedouins may be imagined. Startled from sleep in a camp which, like Oriental camps, must have been most imperfectly protected and disciplined, they would see on every side blazing torches, and hear on every side the rams' horns and the terrible shout of the Israelites. (Comp. Tac. Ann. i. 68.) The instant result was a wild panic, such as that which seized the camp of the Persians at Plataee. The first thought which would rise in their minds would be that there was some treachery at work among the motley elements of the camp itself. Even a well-disciplined camp is liable to these outbursts of panic. One such occurred among the Greeks in the camp of the Ten Thousand during their retreat. To shame these groundless alarms, Klearchus next morning caused a reward to be proclaimed for any one who would give information "who had let the ass loose;" and this seems to have been a standing joke to shame Greek soldiers from such panics (Xen. Anab. ii. 2, 20). Several stratagems similar to that of Gideon are recorded in history. Polyaenus, in his book on the "Art of War," tells us that Di?tas, when attacking Heraea, "ordered the trumpeters to stand apart, and sound a charge opposite to many quarters of the city; and that the Heraeans, hearing the blasts of many trumpets from many directions, thinking that the whole region was crowded with enemies, abandoned the city." Frontinus also tells us that the Tarquinians and Faliscans tried to frighten the Romans with torches, and Minucius Rufus terrified the Scordisci by trumpets blown among the rocks (Strateg. ii. 3). Hannibal on one occasion escaped from Fabius Maximus by tying torches to the heads of cattle, and having them driven about the hills. The Druids waved torches to repel the attack of Suetonius Paulinus on the island of Mona (Tac. Ann. xiv. 30). An Arab chief (Bel-Arab) in the eighteenth century used trumpets in exactly the same manner as Gideon did on this occasion, and with the same success (Niebuhr, Beschr. von Arabien, p. 304). Ewald alludes to similar stratagems in Neapolitan and Hungarian wars, the latter so recently as 1849 (Gesch. ii. 503).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The three
שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת (šə·lō·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

companies
הָרָאשִׁ֥ים (hā·rā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head

blew
וַֽ֠יִּתְקְעוּ (way·yiṯ·qə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8628: To clatter, slap, clang, to drive, to become bondsman

their trumpets
בַּשּֽׁוֹפָרוֹת֮ (baš·šō·w·p̄ā·rō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

and shattered
וַיִּשְׁבְּר֣וּ (way·yiš·bə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces

their jars.
הַכַּדִּים֒ (hak·kad·dîm)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 3537: A pail, earthenware, a jar

Holding
וַיַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ (way·ya·ḥă·zî·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

the torches
בַּלַּפִּדִ֔ים (bal·lap·pi·ḏîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3940: A flambeau, lamp, flame

in their left
שְׂמאוֹלָם֙‪‬ (śə·m·’ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8040: Dark, the north, the left hand

hands
בְיַד־ (ḇə·yaḏ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

and the trumpets
הַשּׁוֹפָר֖וֹת (haš·šō·w·p̄ā·rō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

in their right
יְמִינָ֔ם (yə·mî·nām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

hands,
וּבְיַ֨ד־ (ū·ḇə·yaḏ-)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

they shouted,
וַֽיִּקְרְא֔וּ (way·yiq·rə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

“A sword
חֶ֥רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

for the LORD
לַֽיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and for Gideon!”
וּלְגִדְעֽוֹן׃ (ū·lə·ḡiḏ·‘ō·wn)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1439: Gideon -- a judge of Israel


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OT History: Judges 7:20 The three companies blew the trumpets (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 7:19
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