Purah’s function reflects negatively on Gideon. More often in the Scriptures, the name of a marginal figure in a narrative is not given. But the mention of the servant’s name twice (Judges 7:10–11) is designed to highlight Gideon’s fear in that he relies on the presence of this obscure boy. Gideon does not trust God’s promise that He will be with him (v. 9), just as he did not trust that God would be with him in his war against Midian in his conversation with the angel when he was commissioned as deliverer, and he required a sign to prove who was speaking to him. Even after he recruits his army, he still requires signs that will confirm that God will deliver the Midianites into his hand.
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10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.