Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
Ver. 3. Let him depart.] Lest the rest be discouraged, for cowardice is catching. Deu 20:8 Judas Maccabeus made the like proclamation.
And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand.] Though they had been so long and so heavily oppressed, though now they had God's promise of victory, and a fair opportunity put into their hands of recovering their ancient liberties, - which ought to have been as precious unto them as a drop of cold water would have been to the rich man in hell when he was so grievously tormented in those flames, - yet away they went, and deserted their brethren. So little trust is there to be put in the fickle and faithless multitude.