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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 6:11-24

It is not said what effect the prophet's sermon had upon the people, but we may hope it had a good effect, and that some of them at least repented and reformed upon it; for here, immediately after, we have the dawning of the day of their deliverance, by the effectual calling of Gideon to take upon him the command of their forces against the Midianites. I. The person to be commissioned for this service was Gideon, the son of Joash, Jdg. 5:14. The father was now living, but he was passed by, and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 6:25-32

Here, I. Orders are given to Gideon to begin his government with the reformation of his father's house, Jdg. 5:25, 26. A correspondence being settled between God and Gideon, by the appearance of the angel to him, it was kept up in another way; the same night after he had seen God, when he was full of thoughts concerning what had passed, which probably he had not yet communicated to any, The Lord said unto him in a dream, Do so and so. Note, God's visits, if gratefully received, shall be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:23

And the Lord said unto him ,.... Either by a secret impulse upon his spirit, or by a voice from heaven; and even, as Kimchi observes, the angel, after he ascended, might cause this voice to be heard, seeing him in great fear, because he knew he was an angel; and which is another proof of this angel being Jehovah himself, the eternal Word: peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shall not die ; let not thy mind be ruffled and disturbed, but serene and calm; fear not that any evil shall befall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:24

Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord ,.... On the top of the rock where he had laid his provisions, and which had been consumed by fire issuing out of it, as a token of divine acceptance, and as an assurance of his destroying the Midianites as easily and quickly as the fire had consumed them, and therefore had great encouragement to erect an altar here for God: and called it Jehovahshalom ; the Lord is peace, the author and giver of peace, temporal, spiritual, and eternal; so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:25

And it came to pass the same night ,.... The night which followed the day in which the angel appeared to Gideon as he was threshing: that the Lord said unto him ; perhaps in a dream, since it was in the night: take thy father's young bullock: or "the bullock, the ox" F16 פר חשור "juvencum bovem", Drusius; "juvencum adultiorem", Junius & Tremellius. ; a bullock which was a large grown ox, and was not only his father's property, but what his father designed and set apart for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:26

And build an altar to the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock ,.... Where the provisions were laid, and out of which came forth fire that consumed them; and where the altar, called by the name of Jehovahshalom, had been built by him, near it very probably; and there might be room enough for both upon the top of the rock; for this seems to be a distinct altar from that that was erected as a monumental altar, in memory of the miracle there wrought, and in gratitude by Gideon for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 6:27

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants ,.... Not only whom he could command, but could confide in, and whom he knew would cheerfully engage in this work, being like himself, who had not bowed the knee to Baal; and as there was much work to do, and it required dispatch, such a number was necessary; since he had not only the altar of Baal to throw down, and his grove or idol to cut down, but an altar to build, and a sacrifice to be taken and offered: and did as the Lord had said unto him ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:23

Fear not : thou shalt not die - Here the discovery is made by God himself: Gideon is not curiously prying into forbidden mysteries, therefore he shall not die. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:24

Gideon built an altar - and called it Jehovah-shalom - The words שלום יהוה Yehovah shalom signify The Lord is my peace, or The peace of Jehovah; and this name he gave the altar, in reference to what God had said, Judges 6:23 , Peace be unto thee, לך שלום shalom lecha , "Peace to thee;" which implied, not only a wish, but a prediction of the prosperous issue of the enterprise in which he was about to engage. It is likely that this is the altar which is mentioned in ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 6:25

Take thy father ' s young bullock , even the second bullock - There is some difficulty in this verse, for, according to the Hebrew text, two bullocks are mentioned here; but there is only one mentioned in Judges 6:26 , Judges 6:28 . But what was this second bullock? Some think that it was a bullock that was fattened in order to be offered in sacrifice to Baal. This is very probable, as the second bullock is so particularly distinguished from another which belonged to... read more

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