וַיַּ֣עַל גִּדְע֗וֹן דֶּ֚רֶךְ הַשְּׁכוּנֵ֣י בָֽאֳהָלִ֔ים מִקֶּ֥דֶם לְנֹ֖בַח וְיָגְבֳּהָ֑ה וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה הָ֥יָה בֶֽטַח׃
און גדעון איז אַרױפֿגעגאַנגען דורך די װױנער אין געצעלטן, אין מזרח פֿון נובֿח און יגבהה, און האָט געשלאָגן דעם חיל, בעת דער חיל האָט זיך געשפּירט זיכער.
Rashi
By way of the tent dwellers. By way of the lands of Kedar and Arabia, whose inhabitants were wilderness tent dwellers. Since they were occupied exclusively as shepherds, they could not dwell in houses.
Rashi
East of Novach and Yagbeha. These were Yisroelite cities. He chose not to pass through them, but rather travelled roundabout, so that they would remain undetected, and could overwhelm them by surprise.