Judges 7:19

“So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.” (v.19)

In this passage, Gideon—who lived sometime in the era of the judges, around the 12th century BC—implements the surprise attack God instructed him to carry out with only three hundred soldiers against the Midianites (Judges 7:7). The Midianites themselves were a tribe that lived east of Canaan in the Arabian desert, descended from Abraham through Midian (Genesis 25:6; Judges 6:3, 6:33, 7:12) citeturn0file15. At the beginning of the middle watch (roughly the middle of the night), the sentries in the Midianite camp were just being changed, causing a momentary lapse in attention. Gideon and his men capitalized on this by blowing their trumpets and shattering their pitchers in unison, terrifying their unsuspecting enemies. Here, God uses an unusual battle tactic to demonstrate that victory comes from Him, not from superior numbers or common military strategies citeturn0file2.

By smashing the pitchers, Gideon’s men revealed burning torches concealed inside, startling the Midianite army into confusion and fear. The sound of trumpets, coupled with the sudden blaze of light, suggested a far larger regiment than Gideon's modest force. This method also highlights the faith of Gideon and his men, who had been whittled down to a mere three hundred soldiers so that the Israelites would see the Lord’s deliverance rather than their own might. Just as David famously triumphed over Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45–47), Israel’s salvation here also confirms that God’s power prevails over human strength and cleverness citeturn0file2.

Gideon’s bold assault in the stillness of night illustrates the importance of obedience, trust, and courage in God’s plan.

They overcame the Midianites with a small force, proving that the Lord alone brings victory.