Judges 7:6

Jdg 7:6 And the number of them that lapped, [putting] their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

Ver. 6. Were three hundred men.] Methe mispar, a poor few. Many are called, but few are chosen.

“ Rari quippe boni, numero vix sunt totidem quot

Thebarum portae, vel divitis ostia Nili. ” - Juvenal. {a}

{a} Sat. 13.

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 7:6. That lapped — Taking up a little water in the palm of their hands. It is probable that Gideon, upon this occasion, commanded his whole army to leave their baggage behind them, and among that the vessels and cups they used to drink out of; and, when he had brought them to the river-side, told them to drink of it, as they were going upon an expedition which would not admit of the carrying water with them, and in which they would not soon meet with any. Something of this kind we may reasonably imagine, to account for the whole army’s drinking at the same time, and not one of them using any kind of cup. The whole army, except three hundred men, upon the command being given, seem to have flung themselves down on the river’s bank, as it were, to indulge themselves, which is probably meant by bowing down their knees to drink. But the three hundred men, probably more intent on the expedition, contented themselves with taking up some water in the palm or hollow of their hands, and so quenching their thirst, without laying aside their arms, or putting themselves off their guard.

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

Verse 6. The number of them that lapped] From this account it appears that some of the people went down on their knees, and putting their mouths to the water, sucked up what they needed; the others stooped down, and taking up water in the hollow of their hands, applied it to their mouth.

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

(6) That lapped, putting their hand to their mouth.—Literally, licked with their hand to their mouth.

All the rest of the people—i.e., 9,700 men.

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

6. putting their hand to their mouth] These words do not agree with Jdg_7:5, where ‘lappeth’ is explained ‘with his tongue, as a dog lappeth’; they belong to those who ‘bowed down upon their knees to drink water,’ and should be transferred to the end of the verse. LXX. cod. A and Luc. after ‘lapped’ reads with their tongue, and leaves out ‘to their mouth.’

It is difficult to see the point of the test. Was it that the majority who knelt down to drink shewed that they were thinking only of their thirst, heedless of the risk of being taken by surprise; while ‘the three hundred’ were able, while they lapped, to keep their faces towards the enemy and their hands upon their weapons? ‘The test in fact was a test of attitude, which, after all, both in physical and moral warfare, has proved of far greater value than strength or skill,’ G. A. Smith, Hist. Geogr., p. 399; perhaps this is as much as we can say.

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 the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth,.... That is, that took up water in the hollow of their hands, which they lifted up to their mouths, and so lapped it, as the Egyptians about the Nile are said (d) to do, who drank not out of pots and cups, but used their hands to drink with:

were three hundred men; only such a number out of 10,000: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water; even 9,700; and it was the custom of some nations, as the Ichthyophagy, or fish eaters, to cast themselves with their face to the ground, and drink after the manner of oxen (e).

(d) Achilles Tatius, l. 4. (e) Strabo. Geograph. l. 16. p. 532.

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

Putting their hand to their mouth; taking up a little water in the palm of their hands to put into their mouths.

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

That lapped - Taking up a little water in the palm of their hands.

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

Who lapped from hand. This is not the kind of bending forward as when lapping up with the tongue.

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.