Bible Strands
Judges 6:20
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The angel of God speaks to Gideon at the oak in Ophrah immediately after Gideon prepares a young goat and unleavened bread. The angel directs Gideon to place the meat and bread on a specific rock and pour out the accompanying broth.
The words — The imperative קַח (kach) commands "take," requiring Gideon to physically handle the prepared food. The title מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים (mal'akh ha'Elohim) identifies the speaker as the angel of God, grounding the instruction in divine authority.
The thread — Placing an offering on a rock appears again in Judges 13:19 when Manoah sacrifices a young goat and grain offering. The motif of preparing meat for a divine encounter also surfaces in 1 Kings 18:33 during Elijah's altar arrangement.
Why it lands — The text records Gideon's immediate compliance with a precise physical command before any supernatural sign occurs. The passage requires readers to perform the stated action exactly as directed, without altering the elements or the location.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Judges 13:19 Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.
- 1 Kings 18:33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,