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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Judges 6:11–24. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
It is not said what effect the prophet's sermon had upon the people, but we may hope it had a good effect, and that some of them at least repented and reformed upon it; for here, immediately after, we have the dawning of the day of their deliverance, by the effectual calling of Gideon to take upon him the command of their forces against the Midianites.
I.The person to be commissioned for this service was Gideon, the son of Joash, Jdg 6:14.
The father was now living, but he was passed by, and this honour put upon the son, for the father kept up in his own family the worship of Baal (Jdg 6:25), which we may suppose this son, as far as was in his power, witnessed against. He was of the half tribe of Manasseh that lay in Canaan, of the family of Abiezer; the eldest house of that tribe, Jos 17:2. Hitherto the judges were raised up out of that tribe which suffered most by the oppression, and probably it was so here.
II.The person that gave him the commission was an angel of the Lord; it should seem not a created angel, but the Son of God himself, the eternal Word, the Lord of the angels, who then appeared upon some great occasions in human shape, as a prelude (says the learned bishop Patrick) to what he intended in the fulness of time, when he would take our nature upon him, as we say, for good and all. This angel is here called Jehovah, the incommunicable name of God (Jdg 6:14, Jdg 6:16), and he said, I will be with thee.
1.This divine person appeared here to Gideon, and it is observable how he found him,
(1.)Retired - all alone. God often manifests himself to his people when they are out of the noise and hurry of this world. Silence and solitude befriend our communion with God.
(2.)Employed in threshing wheat, with a staff or rod (so the word signifies), such as they used in beating out fitches and cummin (Isa 28:27), but now used for wheat, probably because he had but little to thresh, he needed not the oxen to tread it out. It was not then looked upon as any diminution to him, though he was a person of some account and a mighty man of valour, to lay his hand to the business of the husbandman. He had many servants (Jdg 6:27), and yet would not himself live in idleness. We put ourselves in the way of divine visits when we employ ourselves in honest business. Tidings of Christ's birth were brought to the shepherds when they were keeping their flocks. The work he was about was an emblem of that greater work to which he was now to be called, as the disciples' fishing was. From threshing corn he is fetched to thresh the Midianites, Isa 41:15.
(3.)Distressed; he was threshing his wheat, not in the threshing-floor, the proper place, but by the wine-press, in some private unsuspected corner, for fear of the Midianites. He himself shared in the common calamity, and now the angel came to animate him against Midian when he himself could speak so feelingly of the heaviness of their yoke. The day of the greatest distress is God's time to appear for his people's relief.
2.Let us now see what passed between the angel and Gideon, who knew not with certainty, till after he was gone, that he was an angel, but supposed he was a prophet.
(1.)The angel accosted him with respect, and assured him of the presence of God with him, Jdg 6:12. He calls him a mighty man of valour, perhaps because he observed how he threshed his corn with all his might; and seest thou a man diligent in his business? whatever his business is, he shall stand before kings. He that is faithful in a few things shall be ruler over many. Gideon was a man of a brave active spirit, and yet buried alive in obscurity, through the iniquity of the times; but he is here animated to undertake something great, like himself, with that word, The Lord is with thee, or, as the Chaldee reads it, the Word of the Lord is thy help. It was very sure that the Lord was with him when this angel was with him. By this word,
[1.]He gives him his commission. If we have God's presence with us, this will justify us and bear us out in our undertakings.
[2.]He inspires him with all necessary qualifications for the execution of his commission. "The Lord is with thee to guide and strengthen thee, to animate and support thee." [3.] He assures him of success; for, if God be for us, who can prevail against us? If he be with us, nothing can be wanting to us. The presence of God with us is all in all to our prosperity, whatever we do. Gideon was a mighty man of valour, and yet he could bring nothing to pass without the presence of God, and that presence is enough to make any man mighty in valour and to give a man courage at any time.
(2.)Gideon gave a very melancholy answer to this joyful salutation (Jdg 6:13): O my Lord! if the Lord be with us (which the Chaldee reads, Is the Shechinah of the Lord our help? making that the same with the Word of the Lord) why then has all this befallen us? "all this trouble and distress from the Midianites' incursions, which force me to thresh wheat here by the wine-press - all this loss, and grief, and fright; and where are all the miracles which our fathers told us of?" Observe, In his reply he regards not the praise of his own valour, nor does this in the least elevate him or give him any encouragement, though it is probable the angel adapted what he said to that which Gideon was at the same time thinking of; while his labouring hands were employed about his wheat, his working head and daring heart were meditating Israel's rescue and Midian's ruin, with which thought he that knows the heart seasonably sets in, calls him a man of valour for his brave projects, and open him a way to put them in execution; yet Gideon, as if not conscious to himself of any thing great or encouraging in his own spirit, fastens only on the assurance the angel had given him of God's presence, as that by which they held all their comfort. Observe, The angel spoke in particular to him: The Lord is with thee; but he expostulates for all: If the Lord be with us, herding himself with the thousands of Israel, and admitting no comfort but what they might be sharers in, so far is he from the thoughts of monopolizing it, though he had so fair an occasion given him. Note, Public spirits reckon that only an honour and joy to themselves which puts them in a capacity of serving the common interests of God's church. Gideon was a mighty man of valour, but as yet weak in faith, which makes it hard to him to reconcile to the assurances now given him of the presence of God,
[1.]The distress to which Israel was reduced: Why has all this (and all this was no little) befallen us? Note, It is sometimes hard, but never impossible, to reconcile cross providences with the presence of God and his favour.
[2.]The delay of their deliverance: "Where are all the miracles which our fathers told us of? Why does not the same power which delivered our fathers from the yoke of the Egyptians deliver us out of the hands of the Midianites?" As if because God did not immediately work miracles for their deliverance, though they had by their sins forfeited his favour and help, it must be questioned whether ever he had wrought the miracles which their fathers told them of, or, if he had, whether he had now the same wisdom, and power, and good-will to his people, that he had had formerly. This was his weakness. We must not expect that the miracles which were wrought when a church was in the forming, and some great truth in the settling, should be continued and repeated when the formation and settlement are completed: no, nor that the mercies God showed to our fathers that served him, and kept close to him, should be renewed to us, if we degenerate and revolt from him. Gideon ought not to have said either, First, That God had delivered them into the hands of the Midianites, for by their iniquities they had sold themselves, or, Secondly, That now they were in their hands he had forsaken them, for he had lately sent them a prophet (Jdg 6:8), which was a certain indication that he had not forsaken them.
(3.)The angel gave him a very effectual answer to his objections, by giving him a commission to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, and assuring him of success therein, Jdg 6:14. Now the angel is called Jehovah, for he speaks as one having authority, and not as a messenger.
[1.]There was something extraordinary in the look he now gave to Gideon; it was a gracious favourable look, which revived his spirits that dropped, and silenced his fears, such a look as that with which God's countenance beholds the upright, Psa 11:7. He looked upon him, and smiled at the objections he made, which he gave him no direct answer to, but girded and clothed him with such power as would shortly enable him to answer them himself, and make him ashamed that ever he had made them. It was a speaking look, like Christ's upon Peter (Luk 22:61), a powerful look, a look that strangely darted new light and life into Gideon's breast, and inspired him with a generous heat, far above what he felt before.
[2.]But there was much more in what he said to him. First, He commissioned him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer. Such a one the few thinking people in the nation, and Gideon among the rest, were now expecting to be raised up, according to God's former method, in answer to the cries of oppressed Israel; and now Gideon is told, "Thou art the man: Go in this thy might, this might wherewith thou art now threshing wheat; go and employ it to a nobler purpose; I will make thee a thresher of men." Or, rather, "this might wherewith thou art now endued by this look." God gave him his commission by giving him all the qualifications that were necessary for the execution of it, which is more than the mightiest prince and potentate on earth can do for those to whom he gives commissions. God's fitting men for work is a sure and constant evidence of his calling them to it. "Go, not in thy might, that which is natural, and of thyself, depend not on thy own valour; but go in this thy might, this which thou hast now received, go in the strength of the Lord God, that is, the strength with which thou must strengthen thyself." Secondly, He assured him of success. This was enough to put courage into him; he might be confident he should not miscarry in the attempt; it should not turn either to his own disgrace or the damage of his people (as baffled enterprises do), but to his honour and their happiness: Thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, and so shalt not only be an eye-witness, but a glorious instrument, of such wonders as thy fathers told thee of. Gideon, we may suppose, looked as one astonished at this strange and surprising power conferred upon him, and questions whether he may depend upon what he hears: the angel ratifies his commission with a teste meipso - an appeal to his own authority; there needed no more. "Have not I commanded thee - I that have all power in heaven and earth, and particular authority here as Israel's King, giving commissions immediately - I who am that I am, the same that sent Moses?" Exo 3:14.
(4.)Gideon made a very modest objection against this commission (Jdg 6:15): O my Lord! wherewith shall I save Israel? This question bespeaks him either,
[1.]Distrustful of God and his power, as if, though God should be with him, yet it were impossible for him to save Israel. True faith is often weak, yet it shall not be rejected, but encouraged and strengthened. Or,
[2.]Inquisitive concerning the methods he must take: "Lord, I labour under all imaginable disadvantages for it; if I must do it, thou must put me in the way." Note, Those who receive commissions from God must expect and seek for instructions from him. Or rather,
[3.]Humble, self-diffident, and self-denying. The angel had honoured him, but see how meanly he speaks of himself: "My family is comparatively poor in Manasseh" (impoverished, it may be, more than other families by the Midianites), "and I am the least, that have the least honour and interest, in my father's house; what can I pretend to do? I am utterly unfit for the service, and unworthy of the honour." Note, God often chooses to do great things by those that are little, especially that are so in their own eyes. God delights to advance the humble.
(5.)This objection was soon answered by a repetition of the promise that God would be with him, v. 16. "Object not thy poverty and meanness; such things have indeed often hindered men in great enterprises, but what are they to a man that has the presence of God with him, which will make up all the deficiencies of honour and estate. Surely I will be with thee, to direct and strengthen thee, and put such a reputation upon thee that, how weak soever thy personal interest is, thou shalt have soldiers enough to follow thee, and be assured thou shalt smite the Midianites as one men, as easily as if they were but one man and as effectually. All the thousands of Midian shall be as if they had but one neck, and thou shalt have the cutting of it off."
(6.)Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed touching this commission; for he would not be over-credulous of that which tended so much to his own praise, would not venture upon an undertaking so far above him, and in which he must engage many more, but he would be well satisfied himself of his authority, and would be able to give satisfaction to others as to him who gave him that authority. He therefore humbly begs of this divine person, whoever he was,
[1.]That he would give him a sign, Jdg 6:17. And, the commission being given him out of the common road of providence, he might reasonably expect it should be confirmed by some act of God out of the common course of nature: "Show me a sign to assure me of the truth of this concerning which thou talkest with me, that it is something more than talk, and that thou art in earnest." Now, under the dispensation 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 operations of his Spirit there, fulfilling the work of faith, and perfecting what is lacking in it.
[2.]In order hereunto, that he would accept of a treat, and so give him a further and longer opportunity of conversation with him, Jdg 6:18. Those who know what it is to have communion with God desire the continuance of it, and are loth to part, praying with Gideon, Depart not hence, I pray thee. That which Gideon desired in courting his stay was that he might bring out some provision of meat for this stranger. He did not take him into the house to entertain him there, perhaps because his father's house were not well affected to him and his friends, or because he desired still to be in private with this stranger, and to converse with him alone (therefore he calls not for a servant to bring the provision, but fetches it himself), or because thus his father Abraham entertained angels unawares, not in his tent, but under a tree, Gen 18:8. Upon the angel's promise to stay to dinner with him, he hastened to bring out a kid, which, it is likely, was ready boiled for his own dinner, so that in making it ready he had nothing to do but to put it in the basket (for here was no sauce to serve it up in, nor the dish garnished) and the broth in a vessel, and so he presented it, Jdg 6:19. Hereby he intended, First, To testify his grateful and generous respects to this stranger, and, in him, to God who sent him, as one that studied what he should render. He had pleaded the poverty of his family (Jdg 6:15) to excuse himself from being a general, but not here to excuse himself from being hospitable. Out of the little which the Midianites had left him he would gladly spare enough to entertain a friend, especially a messenger from heaven. Secondly, To try who and what this extraordinary person was. What he brought out is called his present, Jdg 6:18. It is the same word that is used for a meat-offering, and perhaps that word is used which signifies both because Gideon intended to leave it to this divine person to determine which it should be when he had it before him: whether a feast or a meat-offering, and accordingly he would be able to judge concerning him: if he ate of it as common meat, he would suppose him to be a man, a prophet; if otherwise, as it proved, he should know him to be an angel.
(7.)The angel gives him a sign in and by that which he had kindly prepared for his entertainment. For what we offer to God for his glory, and in token of our gratitude to him, will be made by the grace of God to turn to our own comfort and satisfaction. The angel ordered him to take the flesh and bread out of the basket, and lay it upon a hard and cold rock, and to pour out the broth upon it, which, if he brought it hot, would soon be cold there; and Gideon did so (Jdg 6:20), believing that the angel appointed it, not in contempt of his courtesy, but with an intention to give him a sign, which he did, abundantly to his satisfaction. For,
[1.]He turned the meat into an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto himself, showing hereby 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.
[2.]He brought fire out of the rock, to consume this sacrifice, summoning it, not by striking the rock, as we strike fire out of a flint, but by a gentle touch given to the offering with the end of his staff, Jdg 6:21. Hereby he gave him a sign that he had found grace in his sight, for God testified his acceptance of sacrifices by kindling them, if public, with fire from heaven, as those of Moses and Elias, if private, as this, with fire out of the earth, which was equivalent: both were the effect of divine power; and this acceptance of his sacrifice evidenced the acceptance of his person, confirmed his commission, and perhaps was intended to signify his success in the execution of it, that he and his army should be a surprising terror and consumption to the Midianites, like this fire out of the rock.
[3.]He departed out of his sight immediately, did not walk off as a man, but vanished and disappeared as a spirit. Here was as much of a sign as he could wish.
(8.)Gideon, though no doubt he was confirmed in his faith by the indications given of the divinity of the person who had spoken to him, yet for the present was put into a great fright by it, till God graciously pacified him and removed his fears.
[1.]Gideon speaks peril to himself (Jdg 6:22): When he perceived that he was an angel (which was not till he had departed, as the two disciples knew not it was Jesus they had been talking with till he was going, Luk 24:31), then he cried out, Alas! O Lord God! be merciful to me, I am undone, for I have seen an angel, as Jacob, who wondered that his life was preserved when he had seen God, Gen 32:30. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and curse an express from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to expect good tidings thence; at least, in this world of sense, it is a very awful thing to have any sensible conversation with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage failed him now.
[2.]God speaks peace to him, Jdg 6:23. It might have been fatal to him, but he assures him it should not. The Lord had departed out of his sight, Jdg 6:21. But though he must no longer walk by sight he might still live by faith, that faith which comes by hearing; for the Lord said to him, with an audible voice (as bishop Patrick thinks) these encouraging words, "Peace be unto thee, all is well, and be thou satisfied that it is so. Fear not; he that came to employ thee did not intend to slay thee; thou shalt not die." See how ready God is to revive the hearts of those that tremble at his word and presence, and to give those that stand in awe of his majesty assurances of his mercy.
3.The memorial of this vision which Gideon set up was a monument in form of an altar, the rather because it was by a kind of sacrifice upon a rock, without the solemnity of an altar, that the angel manifested his acceptance of him; then an altar was unnecessary (the angel's staff was sufficient to sanctify the gift without an altar), but now it was of use to preserve the remembrance of the vision, which was done by the name Gideon gave to this memorial, Jehovah-shalom (Jdg 6:24) - The Lord peace. This is,
(1.)The title of the Lord that spoke to him. Compare Gen 16:13. The same that is the Lord our righteousness is our peace (Eph 2:14), our reconciler and so our Saviour. Or,
(2.)The substance of what he said to him: "The Lord spoke peace, and created that fruit of the lips, bade me be easy when I was in that agitation." Or,
(3.)A prayer grounded upon what he had said, so the margin understands it: The Lord send peace, that is, rest from the present trouble, for still the public welfare lay nearest his heart.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
When Jerubbaal, as we read, was beating out wheat under an oak, he received a message from God in order that he might bring the people of God from the power of strangers into liberty. Nor is it a matter of wonder if he was chosen for grace, seeing that even then, being appointed under the shadow of the holy cross and of the adorable Wisdom in the predestined mystery of the future incarnation, he was bringing forth the visible grains of the fruitful corn from their hiding places and was [mystically] separating the elect of the saints from the refuse of the empty chaff. For these elect, as though trained with the rod of truth, laying aside the superfluities of the old man together with his deeds, are gathered in the church as in a winepress. For the church is the winepress of the eternal fountain, since from it wells forth the juice of the heavenly Vine.
When Gideon, the son of Joash, was beating the grain of wheat with a rod under an oak tree, he merited to hear an angel promise that he would deliver God’s people from the power of their enemies. It is no wonder that he was chosen for a special grace, when by the predestined mystery of the future incarnation he was even then seated under the shade of the cross of holy and venerable wisdom. He was bringing the tangible grains of a fruitful field out of their concealment, separating choice holy men from the rubbish of useless chaff. Putting aside the superfluities of the old man and his actions by treating them with the rod of experienced truth, they are assembled in the church as in a winepress. The church is the winepress of the eternal fountain in which abounds the fruit of the heavenly vine.
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Summary
Judges 6:11 dramatically introduces Gideon, a pivotal figure in Israel's history, amidst the severe oppression of the Midianites. The verse vividly portrays the dire circumstances of the Israelites, who were forced into hiding and poverty by their relentless enemies, and highlights God's sovereign initiative as the Angel of the LORD appears to a seemingly insignificant man engaged in a humble, fear-driven task. This moment sets the stage for God's unexpected call to deliver His people, demonstrating His willingness to work through the weak and vulnerable to accomplish His redemptive purposes.
Context
Literary Context
Judges 6:11 marks a crucial transition in the book of Judges, introducing Gideon as the fifth major judge after Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, and Shamgar. The preceding verses (Judges 6:1-10) meticulously detail Israel's seventh cycle of apostasy and divine judgment. Following forty years of peace under Deborah and Barak, the Israelites once again "did evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judges 6:1), leading to their subjugation by the Midianites for seven years. This period is characterized by extreme desolation: the Midianites, Amalekites, and "children of the east" (Judges 6:3) would invade the land after harvest, destroying crops and livestock, leaving Israel utterly impoverished. The people were forced to seek refuge in "dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds" (Judges 6:2). The narrative thus shifts from a broad description of national suffering and a prophetic rebuke (Judges 6:7-10) to God's direct, personal intervention in the life of an individual, setting the stage for the narrative of deliverance.
Historical & Cultural Context
The period of the Judges (c. 1375–1050 BC) was a turbulent era in Israel's history, marked by a lack of central leadership and a recurring cycle of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance. The Midianites were nomadic desert tribes, descendants of Abraham through Keturah (Genesis 25:2), who had become formidable raiders. Their alliance with the Amalekites and other eastern peoples represented a significant and overwhelming force that systematically plundered Israel's agricultural resources, effectively starving the nation. Threshing wheat was typically done in an open, elevated area (a threshing floor) where the wind could blow away the chaff, separating it from the grain. The act of threshing wheat "by the winepress" was highly unusual and culturally significant. A winepress was typically a rock-hewn pit or an enclosed, concealed area, often partially underground, designed to press grapes. Gideon's choice of such a place vividly illustrates the extreme fear and desperation pervading Israelite society, as he sought to hide even his meager harvest from the ubiquitous Midianite raiders. Ophrah, the specific location mentioned, was a town belonging to the clan of Abiezer, within the tribe of Manasseh.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully introduces several key themes that resonate throughout the book of Judges and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Initiative, as the "angel of the LORD" actively seeks out Gideon, demonstrating God's sovereign intervention even when His people are at their lowest point and have seemingly forgotten Him. This underscores that God initiates salvation and deliverance, often in unexpected ways. Secondly, the theme of Oppression and Desperation is palpable; Gideon's unusual act of threshing wheat in a winepress, rather than an open threshing floor, underscores the extreme fear and economic devastation Israel endured, forced to hide even their most basic livelihood from the Midianites, who are described as being "like grasshoppers for multitude" in Judges 6:5. Thirdly, the verse introduces the theme of God Meets Us Where We Are, as the Lord finds Gideon not in a place of strength or prominence, but in a place of fear and vulnerability, engaged in a humble, hidden task. This illustrates God's willingness to use the weak and fearful for His mighty purposes, echoing principles found in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. Finally, it serves as a crucial point of Preparation for a Divine Call, revealing Gideon's initial state of fear and setting up the dramatic transformation that will occur as he responds to God's commissioning, foreshadowing his eventual role as a "mighty man of valour" despite his initial doubts in Judges 6:12-15.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This compound phrase is highly significant in the Old Testament. While "angel" (H4397, mal'akh') simply means "messenger" or "deputy," the specific designation "Angel of the LORD" (H3068, YHWH') often refers to a unique divine manifestation, frequently understood by scholars as a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. The subsequent dialogue in Judges 6, where this figure accepts worship (Judges 6:21), performs a miracle, and identifies Himself with God ("I am the LORD," Judges 6:16), strongly supports this interpretation, indicating a direct encounter with the divine presence, not merely a created being.
Derived from the root "גָּדַע" (gada), meaning "to fell" or "to cut down," Gideon's name (H1439, Gidʻôwn') literally means "feller" or "hewer," implying a warrior or one who cuts down trees. This etymology creates a powerful irony with his initial portrayal as a fearful man hiding from his enemies. His name foreshadows his future role as the one who will "fell" or cut down the Midianite oppressors, fulfilling the meaning of his name through divine empowerment.
A "winepress" (H1660, gath') was typically a two-tiered structure: an upper treading floor where grapes were crushed, and a lower vat that collected the juice. It was usually located in a secluded or even subterranean area, often carved into rock, to keep the grapes cool and prevent fermentation from occurring too quickly. This contrasts sharply with a threshing floor (goren), which was an open, elevated area exposed to the wind. Gideon's use of a winepress for threshing wheat underscores the extreme secrecy and fear driven by the Midianite threat, as he sought to hide his meager harvest from their watchful eyes.
Verse Breakdown
"And there came an angel of the LORD"
This opening clause immediately establishes divine initiative. It is not Gideon seeking God, but God, through His divine messenger (or pre-incarnate Son), actively seeking Gideon. This highlights God's persistent involvement in the affairs of His people, even when they are in a state of spiritual and national decline. The unexpected arrival of this heavenly emissary signals a turning point in Israel's oppression.
"and sat under an oak which [was] in Ophrah, that [pertained] unto Joash the Abiezrite"
The Angel's posture of "sitting" (H3427, yâshab') suggests a deliberate, calm, and authoritative presence, not a hurried or clandestine visit. The specific location—"under an oak" (H424, ʼêlâh') in "Ophrah" (H6084, ʻOphrâh') belonging to Gideon's father, Joash (H3101, Yôwʼâsh'), the Abiezrite (H33, ʼĂbîy_ hâ-_ʻEzrîy'), within the tribe of Manasseh—grounds the divine encounter in a very particular, mundane setting. This detail emphasizes God's personal knowledge of Gideon's circumstances and His willingness to meet individuals in their everyday lives, even in obscure places. The oak tree might have been a prominent landmark or a sacred site, adding to the gravitas of the encounter.
"and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress"
This introduces Gideon (H1439, Gidʻôwn'), not as a warrior or leader, but as a fearful farmer. The act of "threshing" (H2251, châbaṭ') wheat (H2406, chiṭṭâh') is a common agricultural task, but its location "by the winepress" (H1660, gath') is highly unusual and deeply symbolic. Threshing was normally done in an open, windy area to separate grain from chaff. Gideon's choice of a concealed, enclosed winepress vividly illustrates the pervasive fear and oppression under the Midianites, forcing him to hide even this basic act of survival. It paints a picture of a man driven by desperation and anxiety, far from the "mighty man of valour" he is later called.
"to hide [it] from the Midianites"
This final clause explicitly states the motivation (H5127, nûwç' - to hide/flee from H6440, pânîym' - face/presence) behind Gideon's unusual act. It underscores the severity of the Midianite (H4080, Midyân' - Midianites) oppression, which had reduced the Israelites to such a state of fear that they could not even openly process their harvest. This detail sets the stage for the dramatic contrast between Gideon's current fearful state and the courageous, faith-filled leader God intends him to become.
Literary Devices
Judges 6:11 employs several powerful literary devices to set the scene and introduce Gideon. Irony is prominent, as the "angel of the LORD" finds the man who will be called a "mighty man of valour" (Judges 6:12) hiding and performing a common task in an uncommon way due to fear. This stark contrast highlights God's ability to use the weak and unexpected. The setting itself is symbolic: an "oak" often represents strength, stability, or sacredness, yet under it sits a divine messenger observing a man in a state of profound weakness and fear. The "winepress" functions as a powerful symbol of Israel's oppression and Gideon's fear, transforming a place typically associated with abundance (wine production) into a place of desperate concealment for basic sustenance (threshing wheat). This juxtaposition of the divine, authoritative presence with human fear and the mundane, yet desperate, act of threshing creates a dramatic tension that immediately draws the reader into Gideon's story and the overarching narrative of God's unexpected deliverance.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Judges 6:11 is a profound theological statement about God's sovereign initiative and His willingness to engage with humanity in its weakness. Even when Israel is in a state of profound apostasy and suffering the consequences of their disobedience, God does not abandon them. Instead, He actively seeks out an individual, Gideon, who embodies the nation's fear and vulnerability. This encounter highlights the divine pattern of God choosing the seemingly insignificant and empowering them for His mighty purposes, demonstrating that His power is perfected in weakness. It underscores that salvation originates with God, who sees our hidden struggles and calls us into His redemptive plan, often in the most unexpected circumstances, revealing His faithfulness even when His people are unfaithful.
Reflection and Application
Judges 6:11 offers profound encouragement for believers today, reminding us that God sees our struggles, fears, and hidden anxieties, even when we feel insignificant or forgotten. Just as the Lord found Gideon in his place of fear and vulnerability, God often calls us to serve Him not when we feel strongest or most confident, but precisely when we are most dependent on Him. Our current circumstances, no matter how desperate, humble, or seemingly insignificant, do not limit God's ability to use us for His purposes. This verse is a powerful reminder that God's initiative in our lives often precedes our full awareness of His plan, and He equips those He calls, even if they are initially fearful and lacking in confidence. It challenges us to recognize that God's power is made perfect in our weakness, and that true strength comes from relying on Him, not on our own abilities or perceived qualifications. We are invited to trust that God's gaze extends to the most hidden corners of our lives, and His call can transform our fear into faith, enabling us to participate in His redemptive work, bringing His light into the very places we feel most concealed.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "the angel of the LORD" in this verse?
The "angel of the LORD" (Hebrew: mal'akh YHWH) is a highly significant figure in the Old Testament, often interpreted by scholars as a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. This interpretation is strongly supported by the subsequent narrative in Judges 6, where the Angel accepts worship (Judges 6:21), performs a miracle, and speaks with the authority of God, even identifying Himself as "the LORD" (Judges 6:16). This indicates that Gideon's encounter was not merely with a created angel, but with a direct manifestation of God Himself, highlighting the divine and personal nature of Gideon's call. Similar encounters are seen with figures like Moses at the burning bush and Joshua before Jericho.
Why was Gideon threshing wheat by a winepress, and what does it tell us about the situation in Israel?
Threshing wheat was typically done on an open, elevated threshing floor where the wind could separate the grain from the chaff. A winepress, in contrast, was usually a rock-hewn pit or an enclosed, often subterranean, area used for pressing grapes. Gideon's choice to thresh wheat in such an unusual, concealed location reveals the extreme fear and desperation that gripped Israel under Midianite oppression. The Midianites, along with their allies, would raid the land after harvests, destroying crops and livestock (Judges 6:3-5). Gideon was hiding his meager harvest to prevent it from being stolen, illustrating the pervasive terror and economic devastation that forced Israelites to resort to clandestine methods even for basic survival. It underscores the severity of the national crisis and Gideon's personal vulnerability, setting the stage for God's miraculous intervention.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Judges 6:11, while introducing a human deliverer, beautifully foreshadows the ultimate divine intervention found in Jesus Christ. Just as the Angel of the LORD, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ, initiates the call to Gideon in his weakness and fear, so too does God the Father, in His perfect timing, send His Son, Jesus, into a world steeped in sin and spiritual oppression. Christ, the true "Angel of the LORD," did not come to the mighty or the prominent, but to those who were "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), "sick" (Mark 2:17), and hidden by the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). He found humanity "threshing wheat by the winepress"—struggling for survival in the shadow of sin, attempting to preserve a meager existence from the ravages of spiritual enemies. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the ultimate deliverer who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), not through military might, but through humble sacrifice and resurrection power. He embodies the divine initiative seen in Judges 6:11, stepping into our brokenness to call us to Himself, transforming our fear into faith, and empowering us to live in the freedom He secured, just as Gideon was empowered to deliver Israel. The story of Gideon, called from obscurity to be a "mighty man of valour," points to the greater truth that in Christ, God empowers the weak and makes them strong for His kingdom, fulfilling the promise of a deliverer who comes from unexpected places to bring ultimate salvation (Isaiah 53:2-3; Philippians 2:7-8).