Judges 7:5
And when the people were come down to the waters, the Lord said to Gedeon: They that shall lap the water with their tongues, as dogs are wont to lap, thou shalt set apart by themselves: but they that shall drink bowing down their knees, shall be on the other side.
Open Judges 7:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Cumque descendisset populus ad aquas, dixit Dominus ad Gedeon : Qui lingua lambuerint aquas, sicut solent canes lambere, separabis eos seorsum : qui autem curvatis genibus biberint, in altera parte erunt.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ κατήνεγκεν τὸν λαὸν πρὸς τὸ ὕδωρ· καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος πρὸς Γεδεών Πᾶς ὃς ἂν λάψῃ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος ὡς ἐὰν λάψῃ ὁ κύων, στήσεις αὐτὸν κατὰ μόνας, καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἐὰν κλίνῃ ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ πιεῖν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיּ֥וֹרֶד אֶת הָעָ֖ם אֶל הַמָּ֑יִם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל גִּדְע֗וֹן כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר יָלֹק֩ בִּלְשׁוֹנ֨וֹ מִן הַמַּ֜יִם כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר יָלֹ֣ק הַכֶּ֗לֶב תַּצִּ֤יג אוֹתוֹ֙ לְבָ֔ד וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר יִכְרַ֥ע עַל בִּרְכָּ֖יו לִשְׁתּֽוֹת
Haydock's commentary
Tongues. Some Latin copies add, "and hand," as it is expressed in Hebrew, &c., in the following verse. They resembled dogs more in the hurry than in the method of taking water. An old proverb says, "the dog drinks and flees away," (Calmet) alluding to the dogs of Egypt, who, through fear of the crocodiles which infest the banks of the Nile, lap the water with all expedition, "like a dog from the Nile." (Erasmus; Haydock; Macrob. ii. 2.)
Hence we might infer, that these 300 men were the most cowardly in the army, as Josephus, ([Antiquities?] v. 8,) Theodoret, (q. 15,) have done; (Calmet) and thus the glory of the victory would belong more incontrovertibly to God. (Haydock)
But as these 300, on this supposition, ought to have been disbanded, as well as the rest, we may rather conclude that they shewed greater courage and temperance by their posture, and were therefore retained (Calmet) to accompany their heroic leader in his perilous expedition. We must, nevertheless remark, that only those who preferred to acknowledge their fear, were disbanded according to the law; and as, among those who were not quite so cowardly, (Haydock) there would be some less courageous than others, (Amama) these might be selected by God, that no flesh should glory in his sight, 1 Corinthians i. 29. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXVIII
29. Lastly, he addeth, “The tongue of Thy dogs out of enemies by Himself,” calling those very same that had been about to strive for the faith of the Gospel, even dogs, as though barking for their Lord. Not those dogs, whereof saith the Apostle, “Beware of dogs:” but those that eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. For having confessed this, the woman of Canaan merited to hear, “O woman, great is thy faith, be it done to thee as thou wilt.” Dogs commendable, not abominable; observing fidelity towards their master, and before his house barking against enemies. …
St Gregory Nazianzen The Last Farewell in the Presence of the One Hundred and Fifty Bishops
7. I seem indeed to hear that voice, from Him Who gathers together those who are broken, and welcomes the oppressed: Enlarge thy cords, break forth on the right hand and on the left, drive in thy stakes, spare not thy curtains. I have given thee up, and I will help thee. In a little wrath I smote thee, but with everlasting mercy I will glorify thee. The measure of His kindness exceeds the measure of His discipline. The former things were owing to our wickedness, the present things to the adorable Trinity: the former for our cleansing, the present for My glory, Who will glorify them that glorify Me, and I will move to jealousy them that move Me to jealousy. Behold this is sealed up with Me, and this is the indissoluble law of recompense. …