Judges 7:8

*So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.* (Judges 7:8)

This verse describes a pivotal moment in Gideon’s campaign against the Midianites during the time of the judges (12th century BC). Gideon was called by God to lead Israel in deliverance from the oppression of Midian, who, along with other Eastern peoples, would routinely plunder Israel’s crops, leaving them impoverished. The setting is near the Jezreel Valley, below the hill of Moreh, where the Midianites would gather (Judges 7:1). After beginning with 32,000 men, Gideon’s army was drastically reduced by God’s instruction to ensure that Israel recognized it was the LORD who delivered them, rather than their own military might (Judges 7:2–7). Here, the final count is 300 brave warriors, who are purposefully chosen to face a vast Midianite host, which from a human perspective appears insurmountable.

Scripture tells us, *So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley* (Judges 7:8). This highlights both the obedience and faith required of Gideon at this juncture. Gideon himself was a hesitant leader at first, threshing wheat in secret, afraid of the Midianites (Judges 6:11; see also commentary about Gideon’s initial fear citeturn0file0). Yet God called him a “mighty man of valor” and guided him to trust in divine power rather than human strength. Historically, Gideon’s time period (circa 12th century BC) is part of the broader era of the Book of Judges, during which Israel had no centralized monarchy, and God raised up deliverers to rescue them from foreign oppressors (Judges 2:16–23).

By retaining such a small fighting force, Gideon was demonstrating complete reliance on God’s promise to save His people. The emphasis is that God, not numerical superiority, grants victory (see also the parallel with David’s victory over Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, and the principle that God can multiply His people’s faith regardless of their limited resources, John 6:9). This bold trust is further confirmed when Gideon and his men use torches, trumpets, and a battle cry rather than conventional warfare (Judges 7:16–20). The region where the Midianite camp lay in the valley underscores the dramatic setting of this miracle of deliverance, as the Midianites were “as numerous as locusts” (Judges 7:12). Yet, the LORD’s deliverance through a small band of 300 men vividly shows that God’s strength is perfected in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In short, Gideon faithfully dismissed the bulk of his forces at God’s command, keeping only 300 men, confident that the God of Israel would grant deliverance for His people.