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| Chapter XXV.
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Chapter XXV.
Accordingly, when the
Midianites, as we have related above, ruled over them, they turned to
the Lord, imploring his wonted tender mercy, and obtained it. There was
then among the Hebrews one Gideon by name, a righteous man who was dear
and acceptable to God. The angel stood by him as he was returning home
from the harvest-field, and said unto him, “The Lord is with
thee, thou mighty man of valor.” But he in a humble voice
complained that the Lord was not291
with him,
because captivity pressed sore upon his people, and he remembered with
tears the miracles wrought by the Lord, who had brought them out of the
land of Egypt. Then the angel said, “Go, in this spirit in which
you have spoken, and deliver the people from captivity.” But he
declared that he could not, with his292
| 292 “Infractis
viribus”: Vorstius well remarks that “infractis” is
here used with the sense of the simple “fractis.” | feeble
strength, since he was a man of very small importance, undertake such a
heavy task. The angel, however, persisted in urging him not to doubt
that those things could be done which the Lord said. So then, having
offered sacrifice, and overthrown the altar which the Midianites had
consecrated to the image of Baal, he went to his own people, and
pitched his camp near the camp of the enemy. But the nation of the
Amalekites had also joined themselves to the Midianites, while Gideon
had not gathered more than an army of thirty-two thousand men. But
before the battle began, God said to him that this was a larger number
than he wished him to lead forth to the conflict; that, if he did make
use of so many, the Hebrews would, in accordance with their usual
wickedness ascribe the result of the fight, not to God, but to their
own bravery; he should therefore furnish an opportunity of leaving to
those who desired to do so. When this was made known to the people,
twenty and two thousand left the camp. But of the ten thousand who had
remained, Gideon, as instructed by God, did not retain more than three
hundred: the rest he dismissed from the field. Thus, entering the camp
of the enemy in the middle watch of the night, and having ordered all
his men to sound their trumpets, he caused great terror to the enemy;
and no one had courage to resist; but they made off in a disgraceful
flight wherever they could. The Hebrews, however, meeting them in every
direction, cut the fugitives to pieces. Gideon pursued the kings beyond
Jordan, and having captured them, gave them over to death. In that
battle, a hundred and twenty thousand of the enemy are said to have
been slain, and fifteen thousand captured. Then, by universal consent,
a proposal was made to Gideon that he should be king of the people. But
he rejected this proposal, and preferred rather to live on equal terms
with his fellow-citizens than to be their ruler. Having, therefore,
escaped from their captivity, which had pressed upon the people for
seven years, they now enjoyed peace for a period of forty
years.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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