שופטים, פרק ז׳, פסוק כ״א

A military victory is achieved without a single sword being drawn, relying entirely on the power of panic. Gideon's fighters throw the enemy camp into chaos simply through their surrounding presence. The Israelite soldiers hold their positions perfectly, standing firmly around the perimeter of the Midianite camp without ever stepping inside [מצודת ציון]. All commentators agree on this detail. By keeping their distance in the dead of night, while creating loud noises and flashing the light of their torches, the Israelites make it impossible for the Midianites to guess the true size of the attacking army. This calculated stillness, combined with the sudden noise and light, sparks overwhelming terror in the enemy [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Gripped by panic, the entire enemy camp begins to run. This frantic movement is seen either as people rushing back and forth in total confusion [מלבי״ם], or as a direct, desperate attempt to escape into the night [רד״ק]. As they run, loud cries erupt from the camp. The primary approach among commentators is that these sounds are not traditional war cries, but rather screams of disaster, fear, and panic from a broken army [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, another view highlights the sheer depth of the chaos, suggesting that the confusion is so severe that some Midianites actually shout battle cries to fight, completely unaware that their fellow soldiers are already turning to run away [מלבי״ם].