The two central episodes (c and c') deal with the issue of fear. The double reduction (7:1–8) of Gideon’s fighting force begins with the removal of all the fearful Israelites (7:1–3). According to Deuteronomy 20:8, this was a Yahweh-commanded reduction for morale reasons.62 The result is a twenty-two-thousand-man reduction. Interestingly, this reduction of the “fearful” (yare’) or “trembling” (harad) Israelites takes place at the spring of Harod (the name derives from the verb harad, to tremble; hence “the spring of trembling”). This spring at the foot of Mount Gilboa got its name from this
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