11 And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which 'is' in Ophrah, which 'is' to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove 'it' from the presence of the Midianites; 12 and the messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, 'Jehovah 'is' with thee, O mighty one of valour.' 13 And Gideon saith unto him, 'O, my lord—and Jehovah is with us!—and why hath all this found us? and where 'are' all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give us into the hand of Midian.' 14 And Jehovah turneth unto him and saith, 'Go in this—thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the hand of Midian—have not I sent thee.' 15 And he saith unto him, 'O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief 'is' weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.' 16 And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Because I am with thee—thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.' 17 And he saith unto Him, 'If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a sign that Thou art speaking with me. 18 Move not, I pray Thee, from this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put it before Thee;' and he saith, 'I—I do abide till thy return.' 19 And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth 'it' nigh. 20 And the messenger of God saith unto him, 'Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this rock—and the broth pour out;' and he doth so. 21 And the messenger of Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which 'is' in His hand, and cometh against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things—and the messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes. 22 And Gideon seeth that He 'is' a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, 'Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!' 23 And Jehovah saith to him, 'Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 6:11-23
Commentary on Judges 6:11-24
(Read Judges 6:11-24)
Gideon was a man of a brave, active spirit, yet in obscurity through the times: he is here stirred up to undertake something great. It was very sure that the Lord was with him, when his Angel was with him. Gideon was weak in faith, which made it hard to reconcile the assurances of the presence of God with the distress to which Israel was brought. The Angel answered his objections. He told him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer, there needed no more. Bishop Hall says, While God calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. God delights to advance the humble. Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed. Now, under the influences of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes such as Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God, that if we have found grace in his sight, he would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of his Spirit there, The Angel turned the meat into an offering made by fire; showing that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God, who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make himself a sacrifice. Hereby a sign was given to Gideon, that he had found grace in God's sight. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and curse, a message from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to expect good tidings thence. In this world, it is very awful to have any converse with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage failed him. But God spoke peace to him.