שופטים, פרק ז׳, פסוק כ״ד

Once an enemy army breaks and flees, the battle shifts from direct combat to a strategic pursuit. Gideon recognizes this critical moment and immediately takes action to cut off the enemy's escape route [אברבנאל]. He sends an urgent call to the men of the hill country of Ephraim, instructing them to descend toward the Jordan [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The strategic goal of this maneuver is to block the fleeing Midianite forces, effectively trapping them and forcing them to fight a war on two fronts, from the front and from behind [רלב״ג]. By seizing the area, Gideon's forces actively deny the enemy any safe passage [מצודת דוד].

The primary approach among commentators is that taking control of the local water sources and the Jordan meant seizing the river crossings and natural springs. This tactical move is designed to delay the fleeing soldiers, preventing them from easily crossing the river. Furthermore, it exploits the enemy's exhaustion, as the retreating troops would desperately seek water to quench their thirst [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

There is a distinct tactical focus on securing multiple types of waterways. One approach explains that the first targeted locations are not the Jordan River itself, but rather nearby streams and springs along the escape route leading up to the region of Beth Barah. Because of this, the Jordan crossings are treated as a separate military objective [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Conversely, another perspective suggests that all these waterways functioned together as natural borders, creating a physical barrier that separated Aram from the land of Canaan [רש״י].