4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, There are still more people than is necessary; take them down to the water so that I may put them to the test for you there; then whoever I say is to go with you will go, and whoever I say is not to go will not go.
Now after these things, God put Abraham to the test, and said to him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
And Jonathan said to his young servant who had his arms, Come, let us go over to the armies of these men who have no circumcision: it may be that the Lord will give us help, for there is no limit to his power; the Lord is able to give salvation by a great army or by a small band.
For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.
O let the evil of the evil-doer come to an end, but give strength to the upright: for men's minds and hearts are tested by the God of righteousness.
For you, O God, have put us to the test: testing us by fire like silver.
I have made you a tester among my people, so that you may have knowledge of their way and put it to the test. All of them are turned away, going about with false stories; they are brass and iron: they are all workers of deceit. The blower is blowing strongly, the lead is burned away in the fire: they go on heating the metal to no purpose, for the evil-doers are not taken away. They will be named waste silver, because the Lord has given them up.
But by whom may the day of his coming be faced? and who may keep his place when he is seen? for he is like the metal-tester's fire and the cleaner's soap. He will take his seat, testing and cleaning the sons of Levi, burning away the evil from them as from gold and silver; so that they may make offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 7
Commentary on Judges 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
This chapter presents us with Gideon in the field, commanding the army of Israel, and routing the army of the Midianites, for which great exploit we found in the former chapter how he was prepared by his converse with God and his conquest of Baal. We are here told,
It is a story that shines very brightly in the book of the wars of the Lord.
Jdg 7:1-8
Here,
Jdg 7:9-15
Gideon's army being diminished as we have found it was, he must either fight by faith or not at all; God therefore here provides recruits for his faith, instead of recruits for his forces.
Jdg 7:16-22
Here is,
Jdg 7:23-25
We have here the prosecution of this glorious victory.