And when they sounded their trumpets in three places round about the camp, and had broken their pitchers, they held their lamps in their left hands, and with their right hands the trumpets which they blew, and they cried out: The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon:
וַֽ֠יִּתְקְעוּ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָרָאשִׁ֥ים בַּשּֽׁוֹפָרוֹת֮ וַיִּשְׁבְּר֣וּ הַכַּדִּים֒ וַיַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ בְיַד־שְׂמאֹולָם֙ בַּלַּפִּדִ֔ים וּבְיַ֨ד־יְמִינָ֔ם הַשּׁוֹפָר֖וֹת לִתְק֑וֹעַ וַֽיִּקְרְא֔וּ חֶ֥רֶב לַֽיהוָ֖ה וּלְגִדְעֽוֹן׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
One who is consumed by the fear of physical frailty cannot reach even his natural potential, much less achieve virtue. However, when an individual entrusts his efforts to God in all things, he can find true rest in Him. If Gideon had not instructed his men to shatter the clay jars, the illumination of the torches would have remained hidden. This reflects the truth that unless a person learns to disregard the flesh, he will be unable to perceive the Divine light.
They engaged in battle wielding trumpets, lamps, and vessels, an unusual arrangement for warfare. They sounded the trumpets, and within the vessels were placed the lamps; once the vessels were shattered, the light emerged, causing their foes to flee in terror at the sight. In this way, the trumpets symbolize the vibrant proclamation of the Gospel, the lamps reflect the brilliance of miracles, and the vessels represent the frailty of human bodies. These were the champions whom our Leader guided into the fray of evangelism—warriors who, disregarding their own safety, confronted their adversaries, overcoming death not by the means of sword and shield, but through humility. Our martyrs entered the conflict equipped in a unique way: they bore trumpets, vessels, and lamps.
They sounded the trumpets as they preached; they shattered the vessels as they relinquished their bodies to torment by the enemy's swords; they illuminated the darkness with the light of miracles in the aftermath of their bodily sacrifice. The enemies of the faith could not withstand the sight of the martyrs’ bodies glowing with miraculous power, which compelled them to reconsider the very truths they had opposed. Thus, they sounded trumpets to break the vessels; the vessels were broken to reveal the lamps; the lamps were revealed so that the enemies might be driven away. In essence, the martyrs proclaimed the truth until their earthly forms were dissolved by martyrdom; their bodies were dissolved so they could shine forth with miracles; and they shone with miracles to overwhelm their foes with divine illumination, leading them to no longer resist God but to bow before Him in reverence and awe.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS