Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.
"For the host was secure"  (Judges 8:10).  The meaning of this is merely that, "The host thought that they were secure:" The RSV makes the meaning clear, "For the army was off its guard."  The two kings with their fifteen thousand men had fled far enough east of the Jordan that they fancied themselves to be utterly beyond the reach of the Israelites, and had not even bothered to post a watch.  The last five words of these three verses should actually be placed immediately after the words, "And the host was secure."  Of course, the utter panic of the army preceded the flight and capture of the two kings.  The marginal reference on, "discomfited all the host" gives `terrified' instead of `discomfited'; therefore, the RSV is better: "He threw all the army into a panic."