(13) Oh my Lord.--The title is here only one of courtesy (adoni, like kurie; "sir" in John 20:19, &c.),for Gideon only saw in the angel a stranger seated beneath the terebinth which overshadowed the rock-hewn wine-vat in which he was working.
Why then is all this befallen us?--See Deuteronomy 31:17 : "Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?" The words "all this" sound like an echo of Gideon's gloomy thoughts--the thoughts of his country and his brothers, which had been darkening his soul amid his hard toil. "A mighty indication of God's favour to me that I am forced to use this wine-press instead of a threshing-floor" (Jos.).
Verse 13. - If the Lord be with us, etc. The utter dejection caused by the Midianite oppression breathes in every word spoken by Gideon. But how reassuring the angel's words were. Which our fathers told us cf. This is a distinct reference to the national traditions, which are elsewhere alluded to (cf. Exodus 12:26, 27; Psalm 44:1; Psalm 78:3-5; Jeremiah 16:14).
6:11-24 Gideon was a man of a brave, active spirit, yet in obscurity through the times: he is here stirred up to undertake something great. It was very sure that the Lord was with him, when his Angel was with him. Gideon was weak in faith, which made it hard to reconcile the assurances of the presence of God with the distress to which Israel was brought. The Angel answered his objections. He told him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer, there needed no more. Bishop Hall says, While God calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. God delights to advance the humble. Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed. Now, under the influences of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes such as Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God, that if we have found grace in his sight, he would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of his Spirit there, The Angel turned the meat into an offering made by fire; showing that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God, who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make himself a sacrifice. Hereby a sign was given to Gideon, that he had found grace in God's sight. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and curse, a message from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to expect good tidings thence. In this world, it is very awful to have any converse with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage failed him. But God spoke peace to him.
And Gideon said to him, oh my Lord,.... Taking him not to be an angel, but some illustrious and eminent person:
if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? all these troubles and calamities through the oppression of the Midianites; for he understood what was said to him in the salutation, respecting not himself personally and privately, but the people of Israel; and he could not tell how to reconcile the Lord's being with them, and yet suffering such sad things to befall them they groaned under:
where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? when God was with his people, and brought them out of Egypt, he wrought miracles for them, whereby they were delivered out of their bondage; of this their fathers had assured them, but nothing of this kind was wrought for them now, and therefore there was no appearance of the Lord being with them, but all the contrary, as follows:
but now the Lord has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites; and there was good reason for it, because they had forsaken the Lord, and worshipped the gods of the Amorites.
Why then is all this befallen us?--See Deuteronomy 31:17 : "Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?" The words "all this" sound like an echo of Gideon's gloomy thoughts--the thoughts of his country and his brothers, which had been darkening his soul amid his hard toil. "A mighty indication of God's favour to me that I am forced to use this wine-press instead of a threshing-floor" (Jos.).
Where be all his miracles?--See Psalm 78:12; Psalm 89:49.
The Lord hath forsaken us.--See Psalm 13:1; 2 Chronicles 15:2 : "If ye forsake him, he will forsake you."
if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? all these troubles and calamities through the oppression of the Midianites; for he understood what was said to him in the salutation, respecting not himself personally and privately, but the people of Israel; and he could not tell how to reconcile the Lord's being with them, and yet suffering such sad things to befall them they groaned under:
where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? when God was with his people, and brought them out of Egypt, he wrought miracles for them, whereby they were delivered out of their bondage; of this their fathers had assured them, but nothing of this kind was wrought for them now, and therefore there was no appearance of the Lord being with them, but all the contrary, as follows:
but now the Lord has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites; and there was good reason for it, because they had forsaken the Lord, and worshipped the gods of the Amorites.