Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 6:14
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
14. the Lord turned towards him ] The narrator lets us into the secret, though Gideon has not yet recognized who the Traveller is; LXX here and in Jdg 6:16 (cf. LXX Exo 4:24) reads ‘the angel of the Lord,’ an obvious way of introducing consistency.
Go in this thy might ] See on Jdg 6:12. Gideon’s natural qualities were capable of being set to higher tasks. ‘God takes men as they are and makes them what they are not.’
have not I sent thee? ] do not I send thee? The language of the speaker both here and in Jdg 6:16 seems to us to betray his real character; but Gideon does not see through the disguise till Jdg 6:22.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord looked upon him – That gracious look conferred immediate strength (compare Eph 6:10; 2Co 12:9; Joh 20:22; Act 3:6) The change of phrase from the angel of the Lord to the Lord is remarkable. When messages are delivered by the Angel of the Lord, the form of the message is as if God Himself were speaking (compare Jdg 2:1).
The sending implied a valid commission and sufficient powers. Compare Exo 3:10; Isa 44:26; Eze 2:3; Zec 2:11; Mal 3:1; Luk 10:3; Joh 20:21; and the term APOSTLE, as applied to our Lord Heb 3:1 and to the Twelve.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. Go in this thy might] What does the angel mean? He had just stated that Jehovah was with him; and he now says, Go in THIS thy might, i.e., in the might of Jehovah, who is with thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord looked upon him, with a settled and pleasant countenance, as a testimony of his favour to him, and of his readiness to help him.
Go in this thy might; or, go now, or at this time, in thy might; the strength which thou hast already received, and dost now further receive from me, is sufficient with my help.
Have not I sent thee? I do hereby give thee command and commission for this work, and therefore am obliged in honour to assist thee in it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14-16. the Lord looked upon him, andsaid, Go in this thy might . . . have not I sent thee?Thecommand and the promise made Gideon aware of the real character ofhis visitor; and yet like Moses, from a sense of humility, or ashrinking at the magnitude of the undertaking, he excused himselffrom entering on the enterprise. And even though assured that, withthe divine aid, he would overcome the Midianites as easily as if theywere but one man, he still hesitates and wishes to be better assuredthat the mission was really from God. He resembles Moses also in thedesire for a sign; and in both cases it was the rarity of revelationsin such periods of general corruption that made them so desirous ofhaving the fullest conviction of being addressed by a heavenlymessenger. The request was reasonable, and it was graciously granted[Jud 6:18].
Jud6:17-32. GIDEON’SPRESENT CONSUMEDBY FIRE.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord looked upon him,…. The same before called the angel of the Lord, and who was no other than Jehovah himself; who looked upon him with great earnestness, and with great delight and pleasure smiled upon him, and thereby showing he had a kindness for him, and meant well to him: and
said unto him, go in this thy might; both of body and mind, which had been before given unto him, and was now increased, and which no doubt Gideon was sensible of:
and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; as he did, and therefore justly reckoned among the saviours and judges of Israel:
have not I sent thee? to do this great work, save the people of Israel, from whence Gideon might perceive who it was that talked with him, and having a command and commission from God, had authority enough to go about this service.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) The Lord looked upon him.Here, as in Gen. 18:13; Gen. 18:17; Gen. 18:20, the angel speaks as the Lord, and it has been hence inferred that this angel was no created angel, but the angel of the covenant, the captain of the Lords host. The only other possible conclusion is to say that the angel only speaks as the mouth of God (comp. Rev. 21:15; Rev. 22:6-7). No doubt the expression is here literal, but it involves the sense of favour and acceptance (Psa. 25:6; Vulg., respexit). The look inspired him with fresh force. The reason why the LXX. retain the phrase the angel of the Lord throughout is because they had the true Alexandrian dislike for all anthropomorphic expressionsi.e., for all expressions which seemed to them to lower the invisible and unapproachable majesty of the Almighty.
Have not I sent thee?See 1Sa. 12:11 : The Lord sent Jerubbaal.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. The Lord looked upon him This clearly shows that this Angel was the manifestation of Jehovah himself and this looking upon him was an impressive gaze which made him conscious of the Divine Presence, and imparted to him a divine power.
In this thy might The might and strength which I herewith impart.
Have not I sent thee Language of divine assurance. Compare marginal references.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Yahweh looked on him and said, “Go in this your might and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” ’
The Angel now revealed Who He was. It was Yahweh Himself Who looked on Him. He spoke in such a way that Gideon realised that he was speaking to a divine visitor. He realised that he was receiving a divine command, that Israel had not been fully cast off. He was to be mighty in Yahweh’s power and was to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian.
“Have I not sent you?” He suddenly knew that Yahweh Himself was calling him to be the instrument of Yahweh’s saving action (compare Exo 4:11). And like Moses in similar circumstances he was overawed. He was not now sure that he wanted to have the responsibility of being the instrument of Yahweh. (If we make a comparison with Deborah we must recognise that she had been a prophetess for many years, used to receiving commands from Yahweh. She did not have it thrust on her, compare also the same with Samuel).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
I beg the Reader not to overlook the expression, the Lord looked upon him. Was there not somewhat particularly striking in this look of the Lord? Surely his grace, his power, his love, his promised favor and protection, accompanied that look. Wonders have been wrought by the piercing eye of Jesus upon his people, no doubt like that of his look to Peter! Oh, dearest Jesus! let thine eye be upon me for good. Luk 22:61 . There is somewhat very expressive, in the commission with which the look of the Lord was accompanied. Go in this thy might. What might? Not Gideon ‘ s might surely, but the might of the Lord, with which, in the moment of giving him his commission, the Lord endued him. Oh! for the same grace and the same power, to go forth in the strength of the Lord God upon all occasions of our spiritual warfare, and to make mention of his righteousness only. Psa 71:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Ver. 14. And the Lord looked upon him. ] As well liking his speech, for the main, and the publicness of his spirit, sensible of the common calamity.
Go in this thy might.
And thou shalt save Israel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy might. His might lay in the knowledge of Jehovah’s strength (Jdg 6:13) and his own weakness.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord: Jdg 6:11
Go in: Jdg 4:6, Jos 1:5-9, 1Sa 12:11, 1Ch 14:9, 1Ch 14:10, Heb 11:32, Heb 11:34
Reciprocal: Jos 1:9 – Have Jdg 2:16 – the Lord Jdg 6:36 – If thou wilt 1Sa 9:21 – my family 1Ki 8:44 – whithersoever
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
GIDEON
And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Jdg 6:14
I. Gideons attitude towards Gods work, though not satisfactory, was due not so much to a flaw in his spirit as to a mental blindness to duty.This could be, and was, easily amended. But the narrator goes on to show that there are other attitudes which men assume, and which unfit them for doing anything for God in the world. When Gideon had gathered 32,000 volunteers to attack Midian, God saw how much untrustworthy material existed in this army. Two devices were used to weed it of its elements of weakness, to reject from it all whom God counted unfit to fight His battles. First, whosoever was faint-hearted should leave the ranks and quit the field. Two-thirds of the whole army took advantage of this proclamationa striking evidence of the different estimate men make of danger and hard work at a distance and at hand. The large numbers of the Christian army are similarly made up: those who answer Gods summons at first, but take the earliest opportunity of backing out of their engagements. It is better they should leave, for their faint-heartedness would be contagious, and unnerve their comrades. Every one knows how easy it is to work alongside of a cheery, bright, hopeful spirit; how difficult to bear up against the continual complaint, and fear, and wretchedness of the cowardly. Such, therefore, God rejects from His army.
II. The men who were left after this elimination of the cowards were still too many to defeat the Midianites.A large number might be remaining in the ranks merely from shame, though they had no great heart for the business, and others of whom the army needed to be thinned. Therefore the simple device of those who put their mouths to the water being rejected, and those who merely took it in their hands being retained, settled the numbers of the army. This simple device showed a real difference of temperament in the men, and set them off into two well-defined classesthe men who were so eager for the fight, and so full of the presence of the enemy, that they could not have patience even to settle themselves to slake their thirst, and the men who were not sorry for any little delay in meeting the enemy, and who desired, if they were to fight, at least to be comfortable themselves. The former class alone, then, were judged by God to be in a right attitude towards His work. The common rank and file of Christians are ready enough to waste time over objects they count most necessary, and are not sorry of excuse for hanging back from duty where one may get more blows than comforts. A very small proportion of our good Christian people count their own ends merely things by the way, and hurry as fast as possible past them to save time for higher aims.
III. As the tribe of Ephraim was vexed because they had not been asked to help at first in the destruction of the Midianites, so certain persons to-day are really hurt if they are not asked to help in every good work, are offended if they are not asked for subscriptions, and if they are not counted on for assistance in any undertaking that calls for wisdom, perseverance, and grace. They are the most useful men in the Christian Church and in the world, and we are willing to suppose that Ephraim was of this spirit. But there are others who, when a good work is in its infancy, and has not got over its first difficulties, make no movement to assist it; but no sooner does it begin to grow and become popular, than they come forward and loudly complain that they were never asked to join.
IV. Are there not even now those who assume the attitude of the men of Succoth and Penuel, and refuse every appeal to assist those who are faint by pursuing Gods work?There are still men who have no eye for spiritual importance, but measure all things by their outward appearance, and by their relation to their own comfort.
V. Gideon felt that there was a ludicrous disproportion between the means at his command and the work he was to accomplish.But then behind him was the unseen but mighty wind of Gods Spirit, that swept him on and made him invincible. This must be the encouragement of each of us in all duty. We can do nothing of ourselves, but there is nothing we may not do if the Spirit of God carries us forward as its instrument. Faint we all of us must often be, who are striving with any earnestness against sin, and who are concerned for the numberless; varieties of distress exhibited by our fellow-men. Faintness is the lot of all who undertake laborious and difficult tasks. Faint, let us still be pursuing and remembering our duty, and remembering the promise of God, that in due time we shall reap, if we faint not.
Illustrations
(1) We are all tested in the less, before being honoured to undertake the greater. Gideon must first deal with the idolatries of the home, before he can confront the rooted evils of the fatherland. God help us to be faithful in the very little; then the gates of iron will open before us, and the gates of brass shall not be shut.
(2) God knew the heart of His people, and how quick they would be to take the credit of victory to themselves; and the lesson He meant to teach them was that they must look to God for deliverance in all times of difficulty, never at themselves or others. So Gideon is directed to announce that all who were fearful and afraid might return to their homes. An honest confession is surely good for the soul; but it is humiliating to see twenty-two thousand men, over two-thirds of the army, confessing that they are afraid, and deserting the ranks before ever the first battle is on. A brave set surely!
(3) There is a story told in history in the ninth century, of a young man that came up with a little handful of men to attack a king who had a great army of three thousand men. The young man had only five hundred, and the king sent a messenger to the young man, saying that he need not fear to surrender, for he would treat him mercifully. The young man called up one of his soldiers, and said, Take this dagger, and drive it into your heart; and the young soldier took the dagger, and drove it into his heart. And calling up another, he said to him, Leap into yon chasm; and the man leaped into the chasm. The young man then said to the messenger, Go back and tell your king I have got five hundred men like these. We will die, but we will never surrender. And tell your king another thing; that I will have him chained with my dog, inside half-an-hour. And when the king heard that, he did not dare to meet them, and his army fled before them like chaff before the wind, and within twenty-four hours he had the king chained with his dog. That is the kind of zeal we want. We will die, but we will never surrender. We will work till Jesus comes, and then we will rise with Him.
(4) In the late war between Japan and Russia a Japanese force lay before an almost impregnable position. It had to be captured, but before the attack was made the Japanese commander sent one regiment to the rear. He was asked afterwards why he had done that, and he answered, Because I saw fear in their eyes.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Jdg 6:14. The Lord looked upon him With a settled, pleasant, and animating countenance, as a testimony of his favour and readiness to help him. And said, Go in this thy might In the power of this commission which I have now given thee; and in the strength which thou hast already received, and dost now further receive from me. Have not I sent thee? Have not I hereby given thee a commission, a command to do this work? Gods fitting men for this work is a sure evidence of his calling them to it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:14 And the {e} LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy {f} might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
(e) That is, Christ appearing in visible form.
(f) Which I have given to you.