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Judges 7:14
ESV And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”
NIV His friend responded, 'This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.'
NASB And his friend replied, 'This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has handed over to him Midian and all the camp.'
CSB His friend answered, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him."
NLT His companion answered, 'Your dream can mean only one thing — God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!'
KJV And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

What does Judges 7:14 mean?

God is reassuring Gideon using a dream given to a Midianite soldier (Judges 7:13). The man dreamt of a small loaf of bread rolling into the camp and flattening an entire tent. Gideon overhears this while he spies on the enemy, at God's command (Judges 7:9–11). Part of that command was that Gideon would hear something to strengthen his resolve. If the meaning of the overhead dream was not obvious, the Lord provides an immediate interpretation.

The other Midianite soldier replied by interpreting the dream in a blunt, supernaturally confident manner. He refers to Gideon—whose army was undoubtedly seen gathering over the last few days (Judges 6:33–35). The Midianite says Gideon, son of Joash of Israel, has been guaranteed victory by their God. This includes the defeat of all the nations camped alongside Midian, as well.

Scripture offers no explanation how a pagan soldier could have known this. It's likely God inspired those exact words without the man even knowing where they came from. We can't know for sure. What is certain is that Gideon finds this experience inspiring. He sees clear confirmation that God was with Him; He was doing exactly what He promised. This overheard conversation becomes a gift of grace to calm Gideon's fears, imbuing him with confidence before the battle.
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