John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth , etc.] 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 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 f148 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed. Activity and prudenc go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings. When the Lord sees that men would overlook him, and through unbelief, woul shrink from perilous services, or that through pride they would vaun themselves against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by other instruments. Pretences will be found by many, for deserting the cause and escaping the cross. But though a religious society may thu be made fewer in numbers, yet it will gain as to purity, and may expec an increased blessing from the Lord. God chooses to employ such as ar not only well affected, but zealously affected in a good thing. The grudged not at the liberty of the others who were dismissed. In doin the duties required by God, we must not regard the forwardness of backwardness of others, nor what they do, but what God looks for at ou hands. He is a rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts or blessings, or in liberty; so that we may say, it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, and not loo to men what they do.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 מספר4557 המלקקים3952 בידם3027 אל413 פיהם6310 שׁלשׁ7969 מאות3967 אישׁ376 וכל3605 יתר3499 העם5971 כרעו3766 על5921 ברכיהם1290 לשׁתות8354 מים׃4325
