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Selected Verse: Judges 7:24 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jud 7:24	Strong Concordance	And Gideon [01439] sent [07971] messengers [04397] throughout all mount [02022] Ephraim [0669], saying [0559], Come down [03381] against [07125] the Midianites [04080], and take [03920] before them the waters [04325] unto Bethbarah [01012] and Jordan [03383]. Then all the men [0376] of Ephraim [0669] gathered themselves together [06817], and took [03920] the waters [04325] unto Bethbarah [01012] and Jordan [03383].
	King James	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.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim--The Ephraimites lay on the south and could render seasonable aid. Come . . . take before them the waters unto Beth-barah--(See on Jdg 3:28). These were the northern fords of the Jordan, to the east-northeast of wady Maleh. the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together . . . unto Beth-barah--A new conflict ensued, in which two secondary chiefs were seized and slain on the spots where they were respectively taken. The spots were named after these chiefs, Oreb, "the Raven," and Zeeb, "the Wolf"--appropriate designations of Arab leaders.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim--The Ephraimites lay on the south and could render seasonable aid.

Come . . . take before them the waters unto Beth-barah--(See on Jdg 3:28). These were the northern fords of the Jordan, to the east-northeast of wady Maleh.

the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together . . . unto Beth-barah--A new conflict ensued, in which two secondary chiefs were seized and slain on the spots where they were respectively taken. The spots were named after these chiefs, Oreb, "the Raven," and Zeeb, "the Wolf"--appropriate designations of Arab leaders.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
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).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
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 ליּרדּן מעבר (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. ליּרדּן מעבר 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; Kg1 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.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

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 ליּרדּן מעבר (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. ליּרדּן מעבר 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; Kg1 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.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
The waters - That is, the passes over those waters to which they are like to come. Jordan - The fords of Jordan, which they must pass over into their own country.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
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.

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²⁸ And he said [0559] unto them, Follow [07291] after [0310] me: for the LORD [03068] hath delivered [05414] your enemies [0341] the Moabites [04124] into your hand [03027]. And they went down [03381] after [0310] him, and took [03920] the fords [04569] of Jordan [03383] toward Moab [04124], and suffered [05414] not a man [0376] to pass over [05674].

¹⁴ And the children [01121] of Joseph [03130] spake [01696] unto Joshua [03091], saying [0559], Why hast thou given [05414] me but one [0259] lot [01486] and one [0259] portion [02256] to inherit [05159], seeing I am a great [07227] people [05971], forasmuch as [05704] the LORD [03068] hath blessed [01288] me hitherto [03541]?
¹⁵ And Joshua [03091] answered [0559] them, If thou be a great [07227] people [05971], then get thee up [05927] to the wood [03293] country, and cut down [01254] for thyself there in the land [0776] of the Perizzites [06522] and of the giants [07497], if mount [02022] Ephraim [0669] be too narrow [0213] for thee.
¹⁶ And the children [01121] of Joseph [03130] said [0559], The hill [02022] is not enough [04672] for us: and all the Canaanites [03669] that dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of the valley [06010] have chariots [07393] of iron [01270], both they who are of Bethshean [01052] and her towns [01323], and they who are of the valley [06010] of Jezreel [03157].
¹⁷ And Joshua [03091] spake [0559] unto the house [01004] of Joseph [03130], even to Ephraim [0669] and to Manasseh [04519], saying [0559], Thou art a great [07227] people [05971], and hast great [01419] power [03581]: thou shalt not have one [0259] lot [01486] only:
¹⁸ But the mountain [02022] shall be thine; for it is a wood [03293], and thou shalt cut it down [01254]: and the outgoings [08444] of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out [03423] the Canaanites [03669], though they have iron [01270] chariots [07393], and though they be strong [02389].

⁴ And Gideon [01439] came [0935] to Jordan [03383], and passed over [05674], he, and the three [07969] hundred [03967] men [0376] that were with him, faint [05889], yet pursuing [07291] them.

¹ And the men [0376] of Ephraim [0669] said [0559] unto him, Why hast thou [04100] served [06213] us thus [01697], that thou calledst [07121] us not, when thou wentest [01980] to fight [03898] with the Midianites [04080]? And they did chide [07378] with him sharply [02394].

¹⁵ For the LORD [03068] shall smite [05221] Israel [03478], as a reed [07070] is shaken [05110] in the water [04325], and he shall root up [05428] Israel [03478] out of this good [02896] land [0127], which he gave [05414] to their fathers [01], and shall scatter [02219] them beyond [05676] the river [05104], because they have made [06213] their groves [0842], provoking the LORD [03068] to anger [03707].

⁷ But the Levites [03881] have no part [02506] among [07130] you; for the priesthood [03550] of the LORD [03068] is their inheritance [05159]: and Gad [01410], and Reuben [07205], and half [02677] the tribe [07626] of Manasseh [04519], have received [03947] their inheritance [05159] beyond [05676] Jordan [03383] on the east [04217], which Moses [04872] the servant [05650] of the LORD [03068] gave [05414] them.

³² These are the countries which Moses [04872] did distribute for inheritance [05157] in the plains [06160] of Moab [04124], on the other side [05676] Jordan [03383], by Jericho [03405], eastward [04217].

²⁵ And they took [03920] two [08147] princes [08269] of the Midianites [04080], Oreb [06159] and Zeeb [02062]; and they slew [02026] Oreb [06159] upon the rock [06697] Oreb [06159], and Zeeb [02062] they slew [02026] at the winepress [03342] of Zeeb [02062], and pursued [07291] Midian [04080], and brought [0935] the heads [07218] of Oreb [06159] and Zeeb [02062] to Gideon [01439] on the other side [05676] Jordan [03383].

²⁶ And the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] shall stir up [05782] a scourge [07752] for him according to the slaughter [04347] of Midian [04080] at the rock [06697] of Oreb [06159]: and as his rod [04294] was upon the sea [03220], so shall he lift it up [05375] after the manner [01870] of Egypt [04714].

²⁸ These things [5023] were done [1096] in [1722] Bethabara [962] beyond [4008] Jordan [2446], where [3699] John [2491] was [2258] baptizing [907].