Jamieson, Fausset and Brown on Judges 7:9-10

Jud 7:9-15. He Is Encouraged by the Dream and the Interpretation of the Barley Cake.

9-10. Arise, get thee down unto the host ... But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant--In ancient times it was reckoned no degradation for persons of the highest rank and character to act as spies on an enemy's camp; and so Gideon did on this occasion. But the secret errand was directed by God, who intended that he should hear something which might animate his own valor and that of his troops.