Judges 6:21

Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The angel of the LORD responds to Gideon’s compliance in Judges 6:20 by performing a visible sign. Gideon stands before the rock where he has arranged the meat and unleavened bread.

The words — The text emphasizes קְצֵה (ke-Tseh) for "end" or "tip" and מַלְאַךְ (mal-Akh) for "messenger" or "angel." The angel stretches out the tip of his staff to physically contact the offering.

The thread — Divine fire consuming a prepared sacrifice appears in Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:38, and 2 Chronicles 7:1. Each occurrence follows a ritual act and confirms God’s direct presence.

Why it lands — The passage records a concrete act of divine validation before any theological deduction. It requires the reader to acknowledge that faithful obedience triggers immediate, observable divine action.

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

וַיִּשְׁלַ֞חva/i.yish.Lachand/ he stretched out מַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'Akh[the] angel of יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>קְצֵ֤הke.Tzeh[the] end of הַמִּשְׁעֶ֙נֶת֙ha./mish.'E.netthe/ staff אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich בְּיָד֔וֹbe./ya.D/o[was] in/ hand/ his וַיִּגַּ֥עva/i.yi.Ga'and/ he touched בַּבָּשָׂ֖רba./ba.Sar<in> the/ meat וּבַמַּצּ֑וֹתu./va/m.ma.Tzotand/ <in> the/ unleavened bread<s>וַתַּ֨עַלva./Ta.'aland/ it went up הָאֵ֜שׁha./'Eshthe/ fire מִן־min-from הַצּ֗וּרha./Tzurthe/ rock וַתֹּ֤אכַלva./To.khaland/ it consumed אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַבָּשָׂר֙ha./ba.Sarthe/ meat וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַמַּצּ֔וֹתha./ma.Tzotthe/ unleavened bread<s>וּמַלְאַ֣ךְu./mal.'Akhand/ [the] angel of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh הָלַ֖ךְha.Lakhhe went מֵעֵינָֽיו׃me./'ei.Na/vfrom/ eyes/ his

King James Version

Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

Cross-references

Leviticus 9:24 Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.
2 Chronicles 7:1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
Judges 13:20 When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
1 Chronicles 21:26 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.