So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
So Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the enemy camp at the start of the midnight watch. The guards had just changed shifts, and at that moment they blew their trumpets and smashed the clay jars they were carrying.
Gideon and his small army launched their surprise attack at midnight when the enemy guards had just changed shifts, using trumpets and breaking jars as part of their battle plan.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes Gideon's famous victory over the massive Midianite army using only 300 men, reduced from an original 32,000 to demonstrate God's power rather than human strength. The 'middle watch' refers to the second of three night watches (10 PM to 2 AM), when soldiers would be most tired and vulnerable. The strategy involved surrounding the enemy camp and creating confusion through noise and light from torches hidden in clay jars.
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