Oreb

24Gideon sent messengers all through the hills of Ephraim. He said, "Come down and fight Midian. Get to the river crossings before they do, all the way to Beth-barah." So all the men of Ephraim came and took the crossings of the Jordan River, as far as Beth-barah.

And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

NoteEphraim was another big family group in Israel. A river crossing is a shallow place where people can walk across. The Jordan was the big river running down the land.

25They caught Oreb and Zeeb, the two leaders of Midian. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They kept chasing Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan River.

And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

NoteA winepress was a place where people squashed grapes to make juice. Bringing the heads back proved these two leaders were really beaten. Soldiers long ago did that to show they had won.

1The men of Ephraim, one of Israel's family groups, came to Gideon. They said, "Why did you treat us this way? You went to fight Midian and never called us." They argued with him angrily.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

NoteMidian was a desert people who kept raiding Israel's farms. Ephraim was angry at being left out of the fight. Sharing in a victory meant sharing in the food and treasure taken.

2Gideon said, "What I did is small next to what you did. Your family picked up the last few grapes. That was better than my whole family's grape harvest."

And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

NoteWhen grapes were picked, poor people came after and took what was left. Those leftovers were called gleanings. Gideon says Ephraim's leftovers beat his family's whole harvest. It was a polite way to say their part was bigger.

3"God handed you Oreb and Zeeb, the two leaders of Midian. What could I do next to that?" When he said this, their anger cooled down.

God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

NoteOreb and Zeeb were two Midianite leaders. The men of Ephraim had caught them in the story just before this one.

9Do to them what You did to Midian long ago. Do what You did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

NoteMidian, Sisera, and Jabin were enemies who attacked Israel long before this song. God helped Israel win those fights. The Kishon is a river in the north of Israel.

10Those enemies died at Endor. Their bodies lay on the ground like waste in a field.

Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

NoteEndor was a small town near that river. "Waste in a field" means animal droppings. Farmers spread them on the ground to help plants grow.

11Make their leaders end up like Oreb and Zeeb. Make all their rulers end up like Zebah and Zalmunna.

Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

NoteOreb and Zeeb were two leaders of Midian's army. Zebah and Zalmunna were two of their kings. All four lost the fight against Israel.

12Those men said, "Let us take God's land and keep it for ourselves."

Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

NoteThe old words say "the houses of God." This means the grassy land where sheep ate, the land God gave to his people.

24So the Lord says: my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria. They hit you with a stick. They raise a club over you, the way Egypt once did.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

NoteLong before this, God's people were slaves in Egypt. The bosses there beat them with sticks. God says Assyria is hurting them the same way.

25In a very little while my anger with you will stop. Then my anger will turn on them.

For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26The LORD will swing a whip at Assyria. He did the same to Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise his stick over the sea, as he did in Egypt.

And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

NoteMidian was a people who once attacked Israel. A leader named Gideon beat them at a rock called Oreb. And in Egypt, God's people were trapped beside the sea. Moses held up his stick and God opened a path. God saved his people both times.

27On that day the heavy load will come off your shoulder. The wooden bar will come off your neck. That bar will be broken because of oil.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

NoteA yoke is a wooden bar laid across the necks of two oxen. It makes them pull a cart or a plow together. Here the yoke is a picture of one country ruling another. The old words say the bar breaks "because of oil," or fat. Some think it means oil poured on a chosen king. Others think it means the neck grows too big for the bar.