And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
And the LORD said to Gideon, 'With the three hundred men who lapped the water, I will save you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the other people home to their own places.'
God is telling Gideon that He will give Israel victory over their enemies using only 300 men instead of the thousands who came to fight.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Israel's period of oppression by the Midianites, who would raid and destroy their crops annually. God had already reduced Gideon's army from 32,000 to 10,000 by sending home those who were afraid, and now further reduced it to just 300 based on how they drank water at a stream. This dramatic reduction was God's way of ensuring that Israel would know the victory came from Him alone, not from their military strength.
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