Judges 7:8 — Meaning and Application

Judges 7:1

"Then Jerubbaal, who {is} Gideon, and all the people that {were} with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley."

Judges 7:2

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that {are} with thee {are} too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me."

Judges 7:3

"Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever {is} fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."

Judges 7:4

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people {are} yet {too} many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, {that} of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go."

Judges 7:5

"So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink."

Judges 7:6

"And the number of them that lapped, {putting} their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water."