Commentary for Judges 7:27

Of signal valley ridge. Overlooking the plain¹This is Targum Yonasan’s interpretation. The ridge overlooked the plain, and was thus suitable as an observation post.. הַמּוֹרֶה connotes instruction, observation, as in "instructs by gesturing."²Mishlei, 6:13. From there they would observe, and then signal instructions to the valley.

Glorify. "Vanter" in old French.

In the morning. In the morning is צַפְדׇא in Aramaic.

Anyone who laps with his tongue, etc. Anyone who bends forward while on his knees to drink, set them aside, out of your retinue. They shall not accompany you, since they are practiced in kneeling before idols.³Both phrases of this passage—“Anyone who laps, etc.” and “anyone who bends forward, etc.”—refer to the same drinkers. Those who bend forward while on their knees, bringing their faces down to the water in order to lap it up, are practiced in prostrating themselves before idols.

Who lapped from hand. This is not the kind of bending forward as when lapping up with the tongue.⁴Lapping from hand to mouth does not involve prostrating oneself.

Lay in the valley. Were stationed in the valley.

Toasted. The written text is צׇלוּל, "clear".⁵Occasionally, the written Scriptural text, כְתַב, differs from the the spoken text, קֽרִי. Rashi notes that this is the case here, where the written text is צׇלוּל, while the spoken text is צְלִיל, “toasted”. The generation was cleared of righteous men.

A toasted barley bread. A loaf of barley bread. A loaf toasted over coals.

Barley bread. This represents the merit of the Omer offering, which was brought on Pesach.⁶ On the second day of Pesach. The offering consisted of barley meal. (Vayikra, 23:11,16. See Rashi there. Cf. Rashi above, 6:19).

And hit it, and it collapsed (the tent), then it overturned the tent, completely overturned, and the tent collapsed.

The recounting of the dream. The story of the dream.⁷ מִסְפַר, generally translated as “number”, is interpreted here as “story”. "The retelling of the dream and its interpretation."⁸This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.

And its interpretation [lit. "its sale"]. The goods exchanged for it,⁹According to the literal interpretation, “sale”. or its interpretation.

Shofars and torches to invoke the merit of the giving of the Torah.¹⁰ At Mount Sinai, when the shofar sounded, and fire descended on the mountain. (Shemos, 19:16–19). According to the plain explanation: this took place at night, as it is written,¹¹V. 9. and it was dark. They therefore carried torches to provide them with light. They placed them in pitchers so that the torches would remain undetected.

Watch me. Watch my actions, and follow suit.

I, and everyone with me. One of the divisions and one hundred men accompanied him.

For Adonoy, and for Gidon. The sword that executes is from Adonoy, so that victory is Gidon's.¹²This is Targum Yonasan’s interpretation, following v. 20, “Adonoy’s sword, and for Gidon!”

Had posted. The soldiers had already posted the sentries who were assigned to the middle watch. Members of the military usually assign sentry duty so that some serve during the first third of the night, some during the second third, and some during the final third.¹³See Yalkut, 63.

And smashed the pitchers. And broke¹⁴ נׇפוֹץ is sometimes translated as “dispersed”. Here, however, the translation is שָבוֹר, “broke”, as stated clearly in v.20. the pitchers which were in their hands.

They sounded the alarm. The signal to withdraw and flee.

Capture the waters which intervene between Aram and Canaanite territory.

And the Yardein which also intervened.

They brought to Gidon, across the Yardein. In the morning, when Gidon crossed the Yardein pursuing Zevach and Tzalmona.¹⁵