Judges 6:12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Israel's oppression by Midian lasted seven years (Judges 6:1), punishment for abandoning God to serve Baal and Asherah (6:10). The Midianites, along with Amalekites and "children of the east" (nomadic desert tribes), invaded during harvest season, destroying crops and livestock, impoverishing Israel (6:3-6). These raiders used camels for rapid military strikes—the first biblical reference to camels in warfare, a technological innovation that gave nomadic peoples significant military advantage. Gideon's family lived near Ophrah in Manasseh's territory (6:11), in the central highlands vulnerable to raiding from the Jezreel Valley. Threshing wheat in a winepress (a pit carved in rock for treading grapes) allowed Gideon to hide grain from Midianite scouts who confiscated harvests. This humiliating necessity illustrated Israel's desperate situation. Archaeological evidence from this period (Iron Age I, 1200-1000 BCE) shows new highland settlements with hidden grain silos, confirming the biblical picture of a population under constant threat. The angel's appearance to Gideon parallels other divine commissions to unlikely leaders: Moses tending sheep (Exodus 3), Saul searching for donkeys (1 Samuel 9), David keeping sheep (1 Samuel 16), Elisha plowing (1 Kings 19:19). God consistently chooses leaders from obscurity, demonstrating that victory depends on divine power rather than human qualifications.
Questions for Reflection
- Where in your life is God calling you to step into an identity or role that seems far beyond your current strength, experience, or qualification?
- How does God's designation of Gideon as a 'mighty warrior' while hiding in fear challenge your understanding of how God sees and transforms His people?
- What 'Midianite oppression' in your life keeps you hiding and fearful rather than trusting God's promise that He is with you?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The angel of the LORD's greeting to Gideon is laden with irony and prophetic insight. The salutation "The LORD is with thee" (Yahweh immeka, יְהוָה עִמְּךָ) echoes God's promise to Moses (Exodus 3:12), Joshua (Joshua 1:5), and anticipates the Messiah's name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). This assurance of divine presence forms the foundation for the impossible task ahead. The designation "thou mighty man of valour" (gibbor hechayil, גִּבּוֹר הֶחָיִל) literally means "mighty warrior" or "valiant hero," yet addresses Gideon while he's secretly threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from Midianite raiders. This apparent contradiction reveals God's method: He sees not what we are but what He will make us through His power. The Hebrew gibbor (גִּבּוֹר) describes warriors of exceptional strength and courage (like David's mighty men, 2 Samuel 23:8), yet Gideon protests he's from the weakest clan in Manasseh and the least in his family (6:15). God's calling transforms fearful, doubting Gideon into a mighty deliverer. This pattern recurs throughout Scripture: God chooses the weak to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27), demonstrates power through human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and calls the timid to courageous faith. Gideon's transformation from fearful farmer to victorious general illustrates sanctification—God progressively conforms believers to the calling He has declared over them.