Judges 6:8-18

8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Yisra'el: and he said to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, I brought you up from Mitzrayim, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Mitzrim, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10 and I said to you, I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amori, in whose land you dwell. But you have not listened to my voice.

11 The angel of the LORD came, and sat under the oak which was in Ofrat, that pertained to Yo'ash the Avi-Ezri: and his son Gid`on was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midyanim.

12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, the LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.

13 Gid`on said to him, Oh, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Mitzrayim? but now the LORD has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midyan.

14 The LORD looked at him, and said, Go in this your might, and save Yisra'el from the hand of Midyan: have not I sent you?

15 He said to him, Oh, Lord, with which shall I save Yisra'el? behold, my family is the poorest in Menashsheh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 The LORD said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midyanim as one man.

17 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.

18 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 again.

Judges 6:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 6

In this chapter we have an account of the distressed condition Israel was in through the Midianites, Jud 6:1-6, of a prophet being sent unto them to reprieve them for their sins, Jud 6:7-10 of an angel appearing to Gideon, with an order to him to go and save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Jud 6:11-16 and of a sign given him by the angel, whereby he knew this order was of God, Jud 6:17-24, and of the reformation from idolatry in his father's family he made upon this, throwing down the altar of Baal, and building one for the Lord, Jud 6:25-32, and of the preparation he made to fight the Midianites and others, Jud 6:33-35, but first desired a sign of the Lord, that Israel would be saved by his hand, which was granted and repeated, Jud 6:36-40.