Gideon's lappers and kneelers

[tonychanyt]

Judges 7:

5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.

A soldier was chosen to continue iff he did not kneel down to drink.

Ellicott:

Rashi says that those who went down on their knees to drink were secret idolators, who had “bowed the knee to Baal” (1Kings 19:18).

1 Kings 19:

18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

 

[Grip Docility]

Judges 7:


A soldier was chosen to continue iff he did not kneel down to drink.

Ellicott:


1 Kings 19:

To this day, I think about this matter! There is a thread that runs through scripture, involving "Humility". It is, in my mind, the most critical value mentioned in scripture. This is opinion, in my mind... but I wonder if the lappers being likened to dogs had anything to do with the humble behavior of dogs. This one is one that could be evaluated from many different angles.

 

[tonychanyt]

I wonder if the lappers being likened to dogs had anything to do with the humble behavior of dogs.

Right. Check out Dogs in the Bible