He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me. Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.
Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.
Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv17, 19, 21 So that we see how the flesh is enemy…
So that we see how the flesh is enemy unto God’s vocation, which cannot be persuaded without signs.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv17–22 Jdg 6:17 And he said unto him, If now…
Jdg 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Ver. 17. Then show me a sign,] sc., That thou art that "Captain of the Lord’s hosts," and of our salvation. This sign Gideon sought not, as the Pharisees did, out of curiosity or incredulity, but for further confirmation concerning his call to the work, that it was of God. A good cause, a good calling, and a good conscience, will make a good courage; and are all necessary, to a soldier especially.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 19, 21, 22 That it is thou, to wit, an angel or…
That it is thou, to wit, an angel or messenger sent from God, that appears to me, and discourseth with me; and not a fancy or delusion; that thou art in truth what thou seemest and pretendest to be, Jdg 7:12. Or,
a sign of that which thou talkest with me, i.e. that thou wilt by me smite the Midianites.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv17–22 Intending to go to his own, or his father's…
Intending to go to his own, or his father's house, to fetch some food to entertain him with, and therefore entreats he would not quit the place where he was until he returned:
and bring forth my present, and set it before thee; to treat him with, as a stranger and a messenger of God; and perhaps he thought, by this means, the better to discover who he was, whether an angel or a man: the word for the "present" is "minchah", often used for a meat offering, therefore some have thought of a sacrifice; but it appears by what follows that it was not of the nature of a sacrifice; and, besides, Gideon was no priest, nor was this a place for sacrifice, nor was there here any altar; and, besides, as Gideon did not yet know that it was the Lord himself, he could never think of offering a sacrifice to him:
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and he said, I will tarry until thou come again; which was a wonderful instance of divine condescension, it being some time he waited ere Gideon could prepare what he brought, as follows.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 19, 21, 22 That thou - That it is thou, an angel…
That thou - That it is thou, an angel or messenger sent from God, that appears to me, and discourseth with me. Or, a sign of that which thou talkest with me; that is, that thou wilt by me smite the Midianites.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv17–22 Verse 17. Show me a sign] Work a miracle,…
Verse 17. Show me a sign] Work a miracle, that I may know that thou hast wisdom and power sufficient to authorize and quality me for the work.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv18, 20, 21 Jdg 6:18-19. Until I bring forth my present —…
Jdg 6:18-19. Until I bring forth my present — A repast for the angel whom he thought to be a man; and set it before thee — That thou mayest eat and refresh thyself. An ephah of flour — The choicest part of a whole ephah; as also he brought to him the best part of a kid dressed; for a whole ephah and a whole kid had been superfluous and improper to provide for one man.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 19, 20, 22 A sign - If the Angel ate of Gideon’s…
A sign - If the Angel ate of Gideon’s present it would be a conclusive proof of the reality of the vision. (Compare Joh 21:9-13; Luk 24:37-43; Act 10:41.) It would also be a token of God’s goodwill to Gideon. Compare Gen 18:3.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 19, 20, 22 Thou, the Lord, or his angel, capable of fulfilling…
Thou, the Lord, or his angel, capable of fulfilling these great promises; or be pleased, by some sign, to manifest thyself to me. (Calmet) --- He began to perceive that he was talking with some person of authority: (Haydock) yet still he did not suspect that it was a spirit, otherwise he would not have offered food, nor would he have been so such surprised and afraid, only when the angel disappeared so suddenly, ver. 22.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv18–19 GIDEON'S PRESENT CONSUMED BY FIRE. (Jdg. 6:17-32)
GIDEON'S PRESENT CONSUMED BY FIRE. (Jdg. 6:17-32)
Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I . . . bring forth my present--Hebrew, my mincha, or "meat offering"; and his idea probably was to prove, by his visitor's partaking of the entertainment, whether or not he was more than man.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv17–22 17. Show me a sign — Give me some…
17. Show me a sign — Give me some miraculous evidence that this is no illusion, and that Jehovah really speaks to me. Gideon’s several answers show a trembling heart and a wavering faith.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–22 17. shew me a sign that it is thou]…
17. shew me a sign that it is thou] Gideon asks for a sign that it is indeed Jehovah who charges him with this great undertaking (Jdg_6:14; Jdg_6:16); but in the following verse Gideon clearly does not know who is addressing him. Jehovah wills partly to retain and partly to withdraw the disguise. His words suggest to Gideon that He is no ordinary stranger. But some scholars think that these words (Jdg_6:17 b) cannot come from the same hand as Jdg_6:18.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv17, 19, 20, 21, 22 (17) I have found grace in thy sight.—A phrase…
(17) I have found grace in thy sight.—A phrase found both in the Old and New Testament. (See Gen_6:8; Est_5:8.)
Shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.—Give me some clear proof that this is no mere vision, and that thy message is really from God, and portends me favour. (See Psa_86:17; Isa_7:11.)
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Depart not hence.—Comp. 1Ki_13:15.
My present.—My minchah. The word means first “an offering,” but specially “an offering to God,” as throughout the Book of Leviticus for the meat-offering of flour, &c. Hence the LXX. render it “the sacrifice”: “and I will sacrifice before thee.” Gideon seems, however, purposely to use a neutral word, suspecting, but not yet being convinced, that the stranger under the terebinth is something more than man. The desire to be hospitable may have mingled with his deepening sense of awe. (Comp. Jdg_13:15; Gen_18:6.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv17–22 A sign that thou talkest with me that it…
A sign that thou talkest with me that it is indeed thou thyself that speakest to me, even God, and that there is no illusion.
Asking for a sign.
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The stranger said, Have not I sent thee? I will be with thee. Gideon wanted a proof that he was one who had authority, etc., to use such words. That he was a supernatural visitor he suspected; he wanted to be sure. But it was rather to ascertain the reality of his own heavenly calling, which at first he could hardly believe. There was no other evidence open to him; and he asked the evidence peculiar to his epoch. He was altogether different therefore from the Jews of Christ"s time, who required a sign, but no sign would be given them, save the sign of the prophet Jonas. They had signs enough already, but had no spiritual perception.
I THIS REQUEST AROSE NOT FROM WANT OF FAITH, BUT FROM SELF-DISTRUST. Might not this all be a dream? And who was he himself? It is the doubt of a mind suspicious of its own sanity, etc. All this argues a deep humility than which nothing could fit him better for the work he has to do. God forgives a desire like this, and answers it; but doubts as to himself and his character, etc., are of another sort.
II GOD ENCOURAGES ALL TRUE SERVANTS BY SOME TOKEN OF HIS PRESENCE AND HELP. Moses at Horeb; Paul in the temple in his trance for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles". (Act_22:21) Many holy men have had such inward urgings and impulses. And all earnest service is accompanied by tokens of the Divine blessing. We are encouraged, therefore, to look for these signs. Their absence ought to cause no concern. Their nature will depend upon the kind of work we are doing. M.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On vv21–22 (See Scofield "Heb 1:4").
angel
(See Scofield "Heb 1:4").
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv19, 21, 22 from an ephah of flour
from an ephah of flour
If it is necessary to use a modern measurement; here is one way of doing it. AT: "with 22 liters of flour" (See: Biblical Volume)
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broth
water that has had food, such as meat, cooked in it
them to him
"them to the angel of God"
angel of God
This is the same as the angel of Yahweh. AT: "God, who was in the form of an angel" or "God"
translationWords
Gideon
goat
unleavened bread
basket
oak
angel
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.