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Judges 7:7

And the Lord said to Gedeon: By the three hundred men, that lapped water, I will save you, and deliver Madian into thy hand: but let all the rest of the people return to their place.

Challoner: That lapped waterThese were preferred that took the water up in their hands, and so lapped it, before them who laid themselves quite down to the waters to drink: which argued a more eager and sensual disposition.

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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine): Et ait Dominus ad Gedeon : In trecentis viris qui lambuerunt aquas, liberabo vos, et tradam in manu tua Madian : omnis autem reliqua multitudo revertatur in locum suum.
Septuagint (Swete): καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος πρὸς Γεδεών Ἐν τοῖς τριακοσίοις ἀνδράσιν τοῖς λάψασιν σώσω ὑμᾶς καὶ δώσω τὴν Μαδιὰμ ἐν χειρί σου, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πορεύσονται ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ.
Hebrew (WLC): וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל גִּדְע֗וֹן בִּשְׁלֹשׁ֩ מֵא֨וֹת הָאִ֤ישׁ הַֽמֲלַקְקִים֙ אוֹשִׁ֣יעַ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֥י אֶת מִדְיָ֖ן בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְכָל הָעָ֔ם יֵלְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לִמְקֹמֽוֹ

Haydock's commentary

That lapped water. These were preferred that took the water up in their hands, and so lapped it, before them who laid themselves quite down to the waters to drink; which argued a more eager and sensual disposition. (Challoner)

It is thought that the former would be more capable of supporting the fatigues of war. (Menochius)

The Jews suppose that those who knelt, had been accustomed to do so in honour of Baal. Lyranus concludes that they were extremely fatigued and thirsty, while the 300 underwent the labours of war with less inconvenience. Josephus observes that this experiment was made in the heat of the day; yet, if Providence had not interfered, it seems very improbable that 10,000 men should all be so eager for water. (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.