King James Version

What Does Judges 6:18 Mean?

Judges 6:18 in the King James Version says “Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, ... — study this verse from Judges chapter 6 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. present: or, meat offering

Judges 6:18 · KJV


Context

16

And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

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.

18

Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. present: or, meat offering

19

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid , and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. a kid: Heb. a kid of the goats

20

And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Gideon asks the Angel to wait while he prepares an offering: 'Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present.' The term 'present' (minchah, מִנְחָה) denotes both offerings to God and gifts to honored persons, showing Gideon's growing recognition of his visitor's significance. His request demonstrates hospitality customs and worship instincts—encountering the divine requires appropriate response. The Angel's consent to wait reveals divine patience with sincere seekers. This preparation time allowed Gideon to process the extraordinary encounter and prepare a worthy offering.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient Near Eastern hospitality customs required hosts to provide food and shelter to travelers. Gideon's offering preparation would involve slaughtering a young goat, preparing unleavened bread, and making broth—tasks requiring significant time and resources. That Gideon possessed a young goat despite Midianite depredation suggests either recent respite from raids or careful hiding of livestock. The meal's components parallel later sacrificial elements.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Gideon's desire to prepare an offering demonstrate proper reverence when encountering God?
  2. What preparation is appropriate before approaching God in worship?
  3. How does God's patience in waiting for Gideon's preparation reveal His grace toward sincere but uncertain believers?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 17 words
אַל1 of 17
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

נָ֨א2 of 17
H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

תָמֻ֤שׁ3 of 17

Depart

H4185

to withdraw (both literally and figuratively, whether intransitive or transitive)

מִזֶּה֙4 of 17
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

עַד5 of 17
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

בֹּאִ֣י6 of 17

not hence I pray thee until I come

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֵלֶ֔יךָ7 of 17
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

וְהֹֽצֵאתִי֙8 of 17

unto thee and bring forth

H3318

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim

אֶת9 of 17
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

מִנְחָתִ֔י10 of 17

my present

H4503

a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)

וְהִנַּחְתִּ֖י11 of 17

and set

H3240

to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay

לְפָנֶ֑יךָ12 of 17

it before

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

וַיֹּאמַ֕ר13 of 17

thee And he said

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אָֽנֹכִ֥י14 of 17
H595

i

אֵשֵׁ֖ב15 of 17

I will tarry

H3427

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

עַ֥ד16 of 17
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

שׁוּבֶֽךָ׃17 of 17

until thou come again

H7725

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);


Study Guide

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 6:18 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Judges 6:18 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Test Your Knowledge

Continue Your Study