Judges 7:19 Meaning and Explanation
“So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At the start of the middle watch Gideon's company reaches the camp, blows the trumpets, and smashes the jars.
What Does Judges 7:19 Mean?
The moment arrives at the beginning of the middle watch of the night, just after a fresh guard has been posted, when the camp is least settled. Gideon and his hundred reach the edge, blow their trumpets, and shatter the pitchers in their hands, loosing the hidden torches all at once.
Timing belongs to God, and He chose the darkest, most disorienting hour. The breaking of the pitchers is the turning point: the light hidden within blazes out the instant the clay is broken. So often what is fragile in us must be broken before God's light can shine through. The vessel is humble and breakable on purpose, that the light it carried may be seen as the Lord's and not its own.
Judges 7:19 in the Original Language
watch (אַשְׁמֹרֶת), 'night-watch' -- one of the divisions into which the night was kept by sentries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 7:19
What does Judges 7:19 mean?
At the start of the middle watch Gideon's company reaches the camp, blows the trumpets, and smashes the jars.