King James Version

What Does Judges 6:11 Mean?

“And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. Gideon: Gr. Gedeon to hide: Heb. to cause it to flee”

Context

And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. Gideon: Gr. Gedeon to hide: Heb. to cause it to flee

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **There came an angel of the Lord.**—It is obviously absurd to suppose, as some have done, that a prophet is intended, like the one in Judges 6:8. There the word is *Nabi, *here it is *Maleak-Jehovah, *as in Judges 2:1. Josephus, when he says that “a phantasm stood by him in the shape of a youth,” is merely actuated by his usual desire to give the story as classical an aspect as possible for his Gentile readers. **Under an oak.**—Rather, *under the terebinth *(*haêlah*)*:—*some well-known tree beside the altar in Ophrath. (Comp. Genesis 35:4.) **Ophrah.**—This Ophrah was in Western Manasseh. There was another in Benjamin (Joshua 18:23). The name means “fawn,” and the place is identified by Van de Velde with Erfai, near the north border of Ephraim. **Joash the Abi-ezrite.**—Joash was the head of the family which descended from Abiezer, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh (Numbers 26:30; Joshua 17:2). **Gideon.**—The name means “hewer.” **Threshed wheat by the winepress.**—Perhaps, rather, *beating it out *than threshing it, as in Ruth 2:17 (LXX., *rhabdizōn*)*. *There would hardly be room for regular threshing in the confined space of a winepress, for wine-presses were vats sunk in the ground. **To hide it.**—Literally, *to make it fly *(Exodus 9:20). The threshing-floors—open circular places in the fields where the corn was trodden out by oxen—would naturally be the first places where an invading enemy would come to forage, as in 1Samuel 23:1.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Judges 6:11 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.