Judges 7:5

Arabic SVD 1865 Version (Smith and Van Dyke)

فنزل بالشعب الى الماء. وقال الرب لجدعون كل من يلغ بلسانه من الماء كما يلغ الكلب فأوقفه وحده. وكذا كل من جثا على ركبتيه للشرب.

What Does This Mean?

In this verse, Gideon brings his army to a water source where the Lord instructs him to separate soldiers who drink water by lapping it up with their tongues like dogs from those who kneel to drink. This division helps Gideon identify the soldiers who will be used in the upcoming battle.

Explained for Children

Imagine you and your friends are playing a game where you need to choose who will be on your team. The coach tells you to watch how they drink water. If they drink like dogs, they're on your team! This is how Gideon chose his special team to fight.

Historical Background

This verse is part of the Book of Judges, which was written around the 6th or 7th century BCE. The narrative is set during the time of the Judges, a period of judgeship and military leaders in ancient Israel. The audience was likely the Israelites, and the cultural context involves the challenges and conflicts they faced with neighboring tribes and nations.

Living It Out Today

In modern terms, this verse can teach us about the importance of discernment. Just like Gideon had to carefully choose who would fight, we should be discerning about who we trust and work with in our lives. This could be in choosing friends, colleagues, or partners.

Topics

• discernment
• leadership
• trust
• judgment
• divine guidance
• military

Related Verses

• Exodus 17:8-13
• 1 Samuel 17:48-50
• Matthew 26:31-35
• Luke 14:31-33
• Romans 12:2

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Gideon need to separate the soldiers?

Gideon needed to separate the soldiers based on how they drank water to identify the ones who would be most suitable for the upcoming battle, guided by divine instruction.

What does it mean to drink like a dog?

Drinking like a dog means lapping up water with the tongue, rather than kneeling to drink, which is a behavior the Lord used to distinguish between soldiers.

How does this apply to leadership today?

Leaders today can learn from Gideon's example to carefully choose their team members based on their qualities and readiness, just as Gideon did with his soldiers.

What can we learn about divine guidance?

This verse shows that divine guidance can come in unexpected ways, and leaders should be open to and act upon such guidance for success in their endeavors.