‘ And his fellow answered and said, “This is none other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand has God delivered Midian and all the host.” '
His companion certainly had no doubt as to its meaning. News had reached the camp about this man Gideon who had mustered the forces of Israel. It may have been through the capture of Israelites who in defiance had told them what Gideon was going to do to them, or the capture of runners who had been taking the call throughout Israel, or the help of Canaanites who were always ready to do Israel down. They did not know how many had gathered, or what forces Gideon had, but they were clearly alarmed. God had sent his ‘hornet' before Him to terrify the enemy (Deuteronomy 17:20; Joshua 24:12).
“Into his hand has God delivered Midian and all the host.” Note the use of the term ‘God', not ‘Yahweh'. The Midianites would not think in terms of Yahweh. They felt that the dream indicated that the gods were against them and on Gideon's side. Perhaps also they had heard something about the amazing sign that Gideon had received, passed on in a somewhat exaggerated fashion. The appearance of the angel of Yahweh would have been cited in the call to the tribes (Judges 6:35). Fear of the unknown was beginning to bite into the hearts of the Midianite confederacy. Yahweh had filled their hearts with apprehension and doubt.