Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 6 · Verse 15 – Verses 20-21
15 And he ſayd vntounto him: O my Lord, wherby ſhal I ſaue Iſrael? Behold my familye is the pooreſt in Manaſſes, and I am the leaſt in the houſe of my father.
God ſayd not that he would delyuer Iſrael, but he declared that it ſhoulde be done by Gideon, who therefore maruelleth, foraſmuche as he ſaw that he wanted all ſuch thinges as were requiſite to ſo great a woorke. For warre coulde not be made by a poore man, and one of the baſe ſorte, ſuche a one as Gideon perceaued himſelfe to be: when as to the accompliſhing therof wer required power, ryches, and eſpecially authority. Wherfore Ariſtotle to ciuil felicitye, hath ioyned outward goodes, and that namely for this, bicauſe they are neceſſary inſtrumentes of actes moſt noble.
Of hys Myllenary or thouſand, he therfore maketh mention, bycauſe God in the publike wealth of the Iewes (as we rede in Exodus) inſtituted thys maner, namely yt by tribunes or thouſands, & hundreds the people ſhould be gouerned: For it could not eaſily be, that by a few Magiſtrates, an infinite number of people ſhould be numbred, and ſo gouerned, that their maners, liuing and ordinaū ces might diligently be looked vponupon, whych one thing chiefely pertaineth to gouerne well & rightly.Why God appointed tribunes, Centuriōs and Captaines ouer ten. For when eueryevery man is permitted vntounto him ſelfe in theſe thinges, he both abuſeth his liberty, and alſo eaſily tranſgreſſeth the lawes, bycauſe he is not noted. Wherefore God in hys people woulde for that cauſe hauehave rulers ouer ten, and ouer hundredes, and alſo ouer thouſandes, leaſt that publike wealth (if the people were necligently looked vntounto) ſhoulde fal to ruine, and waxe woorſe and worſe. That band of a thouſand, wherof Gideon was one, he declareth to be the pooreſt among all thoſe of the tribe of Manaſſes. Farther, he ſaith that he was the leaſt in his fathers houſe or family, and therfore he ſaw not, by what meanes he could ſet at liberty the Hebrues. Some ſay that Ioas the father of Gideon was at that time a tribune or ruler ouer a thouſand men, & that his ſonne ment him, when he ſaid yt his family was the pooreſt among the tribe of Manaſſes. This ſentence I diſalow not, foraſmuch as afterward it ſhall eaſily appeare ye Ioas was of ſome authority amōg his people. But whither this word Alpi, ſignify him or no, I wil not raſhly affirme, foraſmuch as the firſt expoſition, is both apt and alſo wel agreeth with the woordes of the hiſtory.
Whyther Gideon ſynned in gainſaying the āngel. Many holy mē ſeme to hauehave reſiſted the promiſes and callyng of God.This muſt we rather note, wither Gideon in obiecting theſe things ſinned or no. Vndoubtedly if we looke vponupon the holy ſcriptures, we ſhal finde very many other, which ſayd that their infirmity ſtriued againſt the vocation and promiſes of God. Abraham ſayd he was an .100. yeare old, and therfore he deſired that Iſmael might rather liue before the Lord, than that he ſhould waite for a ſonne of Sara which was both old and barren. Yea, and ſhe alſo when ſhe heard that a childe was promiſed her, ſhe could not keepe herſelf from laughing, bycauſe ſhe alredy felt her ſelfe vnapt by nature to beare a childe. Moſes alſo, that he might not be ſent vntounto Pharao, alledged the impediment of his tong for a let. Farthermore Ieremy ſayd: Ah Lord, I am a childe, and I cannot ſpeake. The bleſſed virgin alſo ſayd vntounto the Aungel: How can this be done? foraſmuch as I knowe no man. There might peraduenture alſo be mencion made of others, but theſe are now ſufficient. And I doubt not but that ſome of theſe whom I hauehave touched, fell in ſpeaking theſe woordes. For God was angrye with Moſes, when hee ſo obſtinately excuſed the office which he had committed vntounto him. Saras laughter alſo was reproued. But I know that the other were prayſed for their faith: for Abraham, bycauſe he beleued the promyſe, was iuſtified, and Elizabeth ſayd vntounto Mary: What is the differēce betwene thoſe whyche ſeeme to reſyſt God.Bleſſed art thou which beleuedſt: for the thinges which the Lorde hath ſayd vntounto thee, ſhal be performed. The difference betwene theſe is hereby to be taken, bycauſe ſome did in ſuche ſorte aſke an excuſe, for that they beleued not the woord of God, neither could they be perſwaded to agree vntounto God whyche ſent them, or made promiſe to them. Wherfore foraſmuche as they ſynned, God was not without a iuſt cauſe both angrye with Moſes, and alſo reproued Sara. But there were other ſome of them, which beleued the woorde of God, and yet for all that they put foorth certayne queſtions, not in deede to reſiſt, but to declare what thinges ſeemed to be a let vntounto theyr calling, or to the thynges commaunded them, and in demaunding theſe thynges, they deſired nothing els, than that they might be inſtructed of the way & maner, which they ought to vſe, and they required to be confirmed, leaſt thoſe thinges which ſeemed to be a let,The ſame wordes ar allowed in one, that are diſallowed in an other. might plucke them backe, either for waiting for the promiſes, or els from fulfilling the thinges cōmaunded them. Howbeit theſe men can not be ſeperated one from an other, by the woordes which they ſpake, when as almoſt they ſpake all one thing. But by the purpoſe and thought of the hart they are ſeperated: for if they ſpake and excuſed thoſe thynges of incredulitye, they oughte not to bee counted without blame: but if they beleued, and deſired onelye to bee confyrmed and inſtructed, we ought not to diffame them as guilty of incredulity. But who ſhal diſcerne theſe thinges in them? Surely God which knoweth the harts and conſcience of eueryevery one of them. And we know that the fayth of Gideon is commended in the .xi. to the Hebrues. But whither that were ſtraight waye geuen him, when he heard the woord of God, or whether it came vntounto him after ſome tarying and wraſtling with humane reaſon, we are ignorant.
16 Then the Lord ſayd vntounto him: Bicauſe I wil be with thee, and thou ſhalt ſmite Madian as it were one man.
Ceaſe of (ſaith he) theſe humane reaſons, and hauehave no regarde to ſtrength, riches, and authority: if theſe thinges ſhould ciuilly be done, thou mighteſt iuſtlye require them. But now thou ſhalt vſe my power and might. Thou ſhalt ſaue Iſrael, not by thine own might, but bycauſe I wyl be with thee. So God anſwered vntounto Moſes when he detracted his meſſage. So was it alſo ſaid of Ioſua, I wil be with him. After that maner was Ieremy anſwered, when he cryed that he was a childe, and could not wel ſpeake. I wil be with thee (ſaith the Lorde) thou ſhalt accompliſh al theſe thinges to whatſoeuer I wil ſend thee. Gideon therefore is inſtructed of the way or maner of the victorye, namelye, that God woulde hauehave the handling and charge of it: and that chiefly by theſe woordes: Thou ſhalt deſtroy the Madianites as it were one man. For wt God it is as eaſy to ouerthrowe an infinite number, as one man. And the ſame thing as touching the marueylous murther of the Madianites, then vndoubtedly tooke effect, when they ſmote one an other with their own ſwordes, and by the impulſion of God they wounded one the other.
17 Thē he anſwered him: I pray thee, if I hauehave foūd fauour in thy ſight, then ſhew me a ſygne, that it is thou that talkeſt with me.
18 Depart not hēce I pray thee, vntil I come vntounto thee and bring my ſacrifice and laye it before thee. And he anſwered, I wyll tarye tyll thou come agayne.
He therefore deſireth a ſigne, leaſt he ſhould thinke him ſelfe to be illuded by a ghoſt or ſpirit. For he was not content with words, but he would hauehave an aſſured ſigne of the talke nowe had. But this ſentence: That it is thou that talkeſt wyth me, ſemeth to be ſpoken by the figure Eclipſis, ſo that we muſt vnderſtand, in the name of God, leaſt peraduenture I might thinke, that the woordes which thou ſpeakeſt, are the woordes of a man, and not count them for the Oracle of God.This viſiō hapned to Gideon being wakyng, & not ſleeping. Theſe thinges were not done when he was a ſleepe (as it appeareth by the hiſtorye) but when he was waking, although God, as we ſhal afterward heare, appeared alſo by night vntounto Gideon. He requireth a ſigne, bicauſe it is the parte of a godly man to trye ſpirites, and not raſhlye to beleue eueryevery ſpirite, eſpecially when any newe and vnaccuſtomed woorke is commaunded: and that whych otherwyſe is not thought to bee lawfull, there no man wyll eaſilye aſſent, except he be fullye perſwaded that hys callyng is of God. But when doctrine now receaued, and confirmed by holye ſcriptures is ſet foorth, or woorkes required, which in them are commaunded, we muſt beware that we require not ſignes, for aſmuch as we are bound to beleue and obey them. But of this thing we wil more largely intreate afterward.
19 Then Gideon went in, & made redy a Kid, & vnleauened breade of an Ephah of floure, & put the fleſh in a baſket, & put the broth in a pot, and brought it out vntounto hym vnderunder the Oke, and preſented it.
This place may be enterpreted two maner of waies. One way it is thought that Gideon would hauehave made redy a dinner for the man of God: for ſuch a one did he take him to be. Therfore for honours ſake he deſired to refreſh him wyth meate in his iourney, & to talk with him at leaſure for the ſhewing of the ſigne. And he thought not that God or an Angel was preſent with him. Wherfore he thought to folow the example of Abraham & Lot. And in dede the things which he preſented, partained rather to a dinner, thā to a ſacrifice. He erected no alter, neither prepared he the fat to be burnt, nor the ſhoulder and the breſt to be lifted vp, nor the blood to be ſhed. The other interpretation is, that he would therfore bring him a ſacrifice, that in that oblation he might obtayne a ſigne, as to Abel the fauour of God was declared when he was offring ſacrifice. And the authors of this ſētence beleue that this doth nothing let that Gideon ſod the fleſh,Fleſh in ſacrifices was ſometimes ſod. foraſmuch as that kind of ſething was ſometimes vſed in peace offrings, as the fyrſt booke of Samuel teſtifieth. Of the interpretours of this place this latter ſētence ſeemeth to be receiued: for they iudge ye Gideon intended to offer ſacrifices: But I rather allow the firſt ſentēce as touching the feaſt, although I know that the Angell contrary to Gideons purpoſe vſed that meate to a ſacrifice, and in it gaue the ſigne, which a little before was deſired of him. This hebrew word Mitſoth ſignifieth vnleauened cakes.Why the Elders vſed ſo oftē ſwete cakes in their feaſtes. But the roote of the word may be Natſa, whiche is to haſt, or to make ſpeede. For the Elders were carefull to prepare meate for ſtraūgers with as much ſpeede as might be. Wherfore they ſtraightway baked new bread, bicauſe peraduenture their houſhold bread was ſomewhat hard and ſtale.The meaſure of an Ephah. Therfore, to ye end they might the ſooner refreſh ye weary, they vſed ſwete cakes, which were very ſoone baked. This meaſure Ephah was not a meaſure for liquide thinges, but for thinges dry, and (as the Hebrues affirme) it held thre peckes, and a pecke contained .144. egges. And ten Ephas made one Corus. Certaine Rabbines fable that there is therfore mencion made of ſweete breade, bycauſe this thing was done in the time of Eaſter. But how trifling this is, hereby we may gather, bicauſe it is wel knowen that ſwete bread were by the commaundement of God vſed, not onelye for ſacrifices at Eaſter, but alſo at other times, eſpecially ſuch as wer to be burnt at the altar of the Lord. But if we ſhal ſay that Gideon prepared not a ſacrifice, but rather a feaſt, we hauehave alredy ſhewed the reaſon, why he brought ſwete bread. Gideon is vtterly to be quitted of ydolatry. For his wil was not to do ſacrifice vntounto the Meſſanger of God: bicauſe his purpoſe was eyther to ſet meate before the mā of God, or els to ſacrifice vntounto the lyuing God, by the hand of the Prophet, whom hee counted to bee farre better than himſelfe.
20 And the angel of God ſaid vntounto him: take the fleſh & the vnleuened bread, & lay it vponupon this ſtone, & poure out the broth: & he did ſo.
21 Then the Angel of the Lord put forth the ende of the ſtaffe, that he held in his hand, and touched the fleſh & the vnleauened bread, & there aroſe vp fire out of the ſtone, & conſumed the fleſh & the vnleauened bread: ſo the Angel of the Lorde departed out of hys ſyght.
They which thinke yt Pinhas the ſonne of Eleazar was this mā of god, which appeared vntounto Gideon, affirme yt the ſame man was alſo afterward called Elias. And euen as when Achab raigned in Iſrael, he obtained fire from heauē, wherby the burnt offring was conſumed, wherupon he had poured water and that aboundantly & very many times: ſo likewiſe now out of the rocke, by the power of god be raiſed vp a flame, wherby ye meate which was put vponupon it was burnt, wherupon he had before cauſed the broth of the fleſh to be poured. I confeſſe in dede that ther is ſome ſimilitude betwene theſe two actes, but therwithal I ſee many thinges to be cauſes, wherby the one differeth from the other. Farther, I vtterly reiect this fained tale, wherin they faine that Pinhas was preſent eyther there or here. Ther, by reaſon of the great diſtance of times: & here, bicauſe (as I hauehave expounded,Auguſtine. & the wordes of the hiſtory do manifeſtly teſtify) it was eyther god himſelf or an angel, which talked with Gideon. Auguſtine in his booke De mirabilibus ſanctae ſcripturae, teacheth that the ſigne, whiche is here geuen, doth aptly agree vntounto that which was demaūded. For it was ſhewed, that by the wō derful power of god, without mans labour and fight, the enemies of the people of the Iewes ſhould be ouercome, euen as by the might of god aboue the ability of nature fire came forth,Ambroſe. wherwith without mans healpe or induſtry thoſe vittailes were conſumed. But Ambroſe very elegantlye writeth the Allegorye of this place, in the Proheme of his booke de ſpiritu ſancto, which I to auoyd tediouſnes do ouerpaſſe. This one thing onelyonly I wil admoniſh you of,Al thinges that wee offer, are to bee offred by Chriſt. yt our giftes are then acceptable vntounto God, when wee offer them vponupon the rocke, whiche is Chriſt. There our actions are by the fire of the holy ghoſt purged, & that which otherwiſe of his own nature is vncleane, is of God receaued as holy.
And the Angel of the Lord departed. By this ſodain departure Gideon vnderſtood that it was an Angel whom he ſaw, wherefore he was ſore afraide, as the wordes of the hiſtory which follow, do manifeſtly declare.