Judges 7:25

Jdg 7:25 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.

Ver. 25. Oreb and Zeeb.] Oreb signifieth a raven. Zeeb, a wolf.

“ Conveniunb rebus nomina saepe suis. ”

Upon the rock Oreb, … at the wine press of Zeeb.] So these places were called, on this occasion: and God was just in it. These princes had forced Israel to hide in the rocks, and had robbed them of their provisions, and therefore fitly became examples of that rule,

“ Per quod quis peccat, per idem punitur ipse. ”

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 7:25. To Gideon on the other side of Jordan — For Gideon, in the pursuit, had passed over Jordan. Oreb and Zeeb had probably taken shelter, the one in a rock, the other by a wine-press. But the places of their shelter were made the places of their slaughter, and the memory of it preserved in the names of the places.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

These places had their names of the acts that were done there.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 25. They slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb] These two generals had taken shelter, one in the cavern of the rock, the other in the vat of a winepress; both of which places were from this circumstance, afterwards called by their names.

Brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon] OREB signifies a raven and ZEEB a wolf. In all ancient nations we find generals and princes taking their names from both birds and beasts; the Romans had their Gracchi, jackdaws; Corvini, crows; Aquilini, eagles, c. We have the same in our Crows, Wolfs, Lyons, Hawkes, Bulls, Kidds, c. Among barbarous nations the head of the conquered chief was often brought to the conqueror. Pompey's head was brought to Caesar Cicero's head, to Mark Antony the heads of Ahab's children, to Jehu, c. These barbarities are not often practiced now, except among the Mohammedans or the savages of Africa and America and for the credit of human nature it is a pity that such barbarous atrocities had ever been committed.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) Oreb and Zeeb.—The names mean “raven” and “wolf”: but these are common names for warriors among rude tribes, and there is no reason to look on them as names given in scorn by the Israelites. Such names are common among nomads. The capture of these two powerful sheykhs was the result of the second part of the battle, and was not accomplished without a terrible slaughter. See Psa_73:9-12, where the word rendered “houses” of God should be “pastures” of God. It is remarkable that in this passage there seems to be almost an identification of the victories of Barak and Gideon, as though they were the result of one great combined movement. In the phrase “became as the dung of the earth” we see that tradition preserved a memory of the fertilisation of the ground by the dead bodies (see Note on Jdg_4:16; Jdg_5:21). The completeness of the victory is also ailuded to in Isa_60:4 : “Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden . . . as in the day of Midian”; and Isa_10:26. The brief narrative of Judges perhaps hardly enables us to realise the three acts of this great tragedy of Midianite slaughter—at Gilboa, the Fords, and Karkor.

Upon the rock Oreb.—Rather, at the raven’s rock. Only again mentioned in Isa_10:26 : “according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb.” Reland identifies it with Orbo, near Bethshean.

To Gideon on the other side Jordan.—i.e., beyond the Jordan (“trans fluenta Jordani,” Vulg.). This notice is given by anticipation, for Gideon’s crossing the Jordan is not mentioned till Jdg_8:4. The words literally mean “from beyond the Jordan,” as the LXX. render them (apo peran), but this is idiomatic for “from one place to another,” as in Jos_13:22, &c-

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. Oreb and Zeeb] The Midianite princes bear Hebrew (or Hebraized) names = ‘Raven’ and ‘Wolf.’ The sheikh of the powerful tribe of the Banû ‘Adwân, who range the country S.E. of the Jordan, still receives the hereditary title of Dhi’âb, i.e. Zeeb. Animal names of this kind were borne both by clans and individuals, more frequently by the former, as the O.T. shews; they may be explained as survivals from a totem stage of society. See Gray, Hebr. Pr. Names, 112–114. Instead of the two princes Oreb and Zeeb, the other narrative, Jdg_8:4-21, mentions the two kings Zebah and Zalmunna. Cf. Psa_83:11.

the rock of Oreb … the winepress of Zeeb] It is implied that the spots were named after the chiefs who fell there. Possibly the names of two conical hills N. and N.W. of Jericho, ‘Uðð el ghurâb (‘raven’s nest’) Ṭuwçl edh-dhi’âb (‘ridge of the wolf’), have preserved a memory of the event; Buhl, Geogr., p. 115. Isa_10:16 interprets this episode in a wider sense; cf. also Isa_9:4.

and pursued Midian … beyond Jordan] The present narrative, Jdg_7:22 to Jdg_8:3, tells how Gideon chased the Midianites down to the Jordan fords and into the arms of the Ephraimites, who brought to him the heads of the two chieftains. Nothing is said of Gideon having crossed the Jordan. These words were probably added by a later editor who wished to bring Jdg_7:22 to Jdg_8:3 into harmony with Jdg_8:4 ff.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb,.... The one signifies a "raven", and the other a "wolf"; which were either nicknames given them because of their voraciousness and cruelty, or which they took themselves, or their ancestors before them, to make themselves terrible to others; so the Romans had the families of the Corvini, &c.

and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb; perhaps they found him in a cave of the rock, and dragging him out slew him, from whence the rock afterwards had its name. So we read of the rock Corax in Homer (p), which was in Ithaca, and another high mountain of the same name in Aetolia, mentioned by Livy (q) and which signifies the same as Oreb. This is a different rock or mountain from Horeb, the same with Sinai, from whence the law was given; which always ought to be written with an "H" or "Ch", to distinguish it from this; though that is written Oreb by Lactantius (r), and so by Milton (s), contrary to the propriety of the language:

and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; the Targum is, the plain of Zeeb, which, as Kimchi and Ben Gersom suppose, was in the form of a winepress, having high lips or hills around it, and which afterwards took its name from this prince being slain in it:

and pursued Midian; the rest of the Midianites, even beyond Jordan, those that got over it:

and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan; that is, when he had passed over it the next morning, as Jarchi remarks; for after this we read of Gideon's going over Jordan, Jdg 8:4 unless this is said by way of anticipation; though the phrase will bear to be rendered, "on this side Jordan", for it signifies both. It seems they cut off the heads of those two princes, and presented them to Gideon, as it has been usual to bring the heads of enemies to kings and conquerors; see Sa1 17:54.

(p) Odyss. 13. "prope finem". (q) Hist. l. 36. c. 30. (r) De vera Sap. l. 4. c. 17. (s) Paradise Lost, l. 1. ver. 7.

Next: Judges Chapter 8

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Two men. That is, two of their chiefs. (Challoner) --- Press. Hebrew yekeb, denotes a cistern fit to contain wine, Isaias v. 2., and Proverbs iii. 10. --- Zeb had concealed himself in it. --- Jordan. They afterwards took occasion from this exploit to extol their own valour, and to quarrel with Gedeon. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For Gideon in the pursuit had passed over Jordan, as we read, Jdg 8:4, which, though mentioned after this, may seem to have been done before it, such transpositions being frequent in sacred story. Or, on this side Jordan, for the Hebrew word is indifferent to both sides: see Gen 1:10. And so this is opposed to what follows of his passing over Jordan, Jdg 8:4. And then there is no anticipation here.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. Oreb and Zeeb — These names mean respectively the raven and the wolf, and were, perhaps, descriptive of the fierce character of these Midianitish chieftains. They remind us of names common among chiefs of the American Indians.

Rock Oreb… winepress of Zeeb — These places, now unknown, received their names from the slaughter of these two princes. The historian, writing some time after the places had received these names, very naturally speaks of them in this way.

Pursued Midian — After beheading Oreb and Zeeb, the Ephraimites continued their pursuit and followed the Midianites. who had, in spite of them, forced their way to the other side of the Jordan.

Brought the heads… to Gideon on the other side Jordan — That is, after Gideon had also crossed over to the other, or east, side of Jordan, they brought to him the heads of the slaughtered chiefs. Thus, as Bertheau and Keil show, the writer anticipates Gideon’s crossing of the Jordan in order to say what was done with the heads, and to mention in the same connexion the anger of the Ephraimites. Accordingly, Gideon’s crossing the Jordan, which is mentioned Jdg_8:4, took place before these heads were brought to him, and before that war of words occurred which the writer next proceeds to record. Jdg_8:1-3.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Oreb, a raven, and Zeeb, a wolf. The rock known afterwards as the rock of Oreb, (Isa_10:26) and the wine-press (see Jud_1:6:11) known as the wine-press of Zeeb , were so called from being the places where these two princes were taken and slain by the Eph-raimites. In like manner the well of Harod is called by the name it afterwards received (ver. 1), and the palm tree of Deborah in like manner, (Jud_1:2:5) and Lehi. (Jud_1:15:9) These are valuable indications (to which many more might be added) of a living tradition older than the written history. The capture of Oreb and Zeeb is celebrated in Psa_83:11 and Isa_10:26. On the other side Jordan, i.e. the east side of the river, which Gideon had now crossed, as is related in Jud_1:8:4. The narrative runs on here to complete the history of the doings of the men of Ephraim, and goes back at Jud_1:8:4 to take up the thread of the history of Gideon. (see Jud 2:1-6, note)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The other side of Jordan - For Gideon in the pursuit had passed over Jordan. Oreb and Zeeb had probably taken shelter, the one in a rock, the other by a wine-press. But the places of their shelter were made the places of their slaughter, and the memory of it preserved in the names of the places.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

They brought to Gidon, across the Yardein. In the morning, when Gidon crossed the Yardein pursuing Zevach and Tzalmona.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.