“So they took the people’s food.” Gideon’s 300 men took the shofars and food of the other men, who returned to their tents.
“all the men of Israel.” This is a hyperbole for the vast majority. Gideon sent home 9,700 men of the 10,000.
“was beneath him in the plain.” So at some point, Gideon and his army climbed Mount Gilboa.