שופטים, פרק ח׳, פסוק י״ב

The final stage of the pursuit against the Midianite leadership concludes with the capture of their kings and the complete collapse of their army's morale. While many ordinary soldiers managed to run away quickly because they fled for their lives without any extra weight, the two Midianite kings were caught. Due to their royal status, the kings likely traveled slowly, weighed down by heavy baggage and a dignified entourage, making a swift escape impossible [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As the kings were taken, Gideon intentionally sent a massive shockwave of panic through the rest of the Midianite camp [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary goal of creating this intense fear was to completely paralyze the enemy forces, preventing the soldiers from grouping together to rescue their captured leaders [מצודת דוד]. This overwhelming terror was highly effective because the attack took place under the cover of darkness. The lack of visibility led the Midianites to believe that the Israelite army was significantly larger than its actual size. To further amplify the dread, the Israelite soldiers may have once again shouted their battle cry, claiming their swords for God and for Gideon [רלב״ג].

Paralyzed by shock and desperate to find an escape route, the fleeing Midianite soldiers ran directly into the hands of the Israelite troops, who were positioned around the camp waiting to strike them down [ביאור שטיינזלץ].