Judges Chapter 7 · Verse 12
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
Original Language Analysis
וּמִדְיָ֨ן
And the Midianites
H4080
וּמִדְיָ֨ן
And the Midianites
Strong's:
H4080
Word #:
1 of 17
midjan, a son of abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants
וַֽעֲמָלֵ֤ק
and the Amalekites
H6002
וַֽעֲמָלֵ֤ק
and the Amalekites
Strong's:
H6002
Word #:
2 of 17
amalek, a descendant of esau; also his posterity and their country
וְכָל
H3605
וְכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
3 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
בְּנֵי
and all the children
H1121
בְּנֵי
and all the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
4 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
קֶ֙דֶם֙
of the east
H6924
קֶ֙דֶם֙
of the east
Strong's:
H6924
Word #:
5 of 17
the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the east) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)
נֹֽפְלִ֣ים
lay
H5307
נֹֽפְלִ֣ים
lay
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
6 of 17
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
מִסְפָּ֔ר
were without number
H4557
מִסְפָּ֔ר
were without number
Strong's:
H4557
Word #:
12 of 17
a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration
שֶֽׁעַל
H5921
שֶֽׁעַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
14 of 17
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
שְׂפַ֥ת
side
H8193
שְׂפַ֥ת
side
Strong's:
H8193
Word #:
15 of 17
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
Cross References
Judges 6:5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.Judges 8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.Joshua 11:4And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.Judges 6:3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;Psalms 3:1LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.Psalms 33:16There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
Historical Context
This passage provides the earliest clear biblical reference to large-scale military use of camels. Camels gave the Midianite coalition unprecedented raiding capability—traveling 100 miles in a day, carrying substantial loads, surviving on minimal water. This mobility explains their seven-year dominance despite Israel's larger population. Archaeological evidence confirms camel domestication was increasing during the early Iron Age (12th-11th centuries BCE), matching the judges period timeframe.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the overwhelming enemy size emphasize the miraculous nature of the coming victory?
- What 'multitudes' in your life seem as innumerable as grasshoppers or sand, requiring divine intervention?
- How does the camel detail demonstrate that human military advantages mean nothing against God's purposes?
Analysis & Commentary
The overwhelming scope of the enemy force is described: Midianites, Amalekites, and all the eastern peoples settled in the valley 'like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea shore for multitude.' The grasshopper comparison evokes Israel's fearful spies describing themselves before the Canaanites (Numbers 13:33)—ironic reversal as now the enemies appear as numerous as grasshoppers. The camel emphasis highlights the raiders' military advantage—mobility allowing rapid strikes and retreat. The 'sand by the sea shore' metaphor (cf. Genesis 22:17, 32:12) emphasizes the vast numbers facing Gideon's 300.