Judges 6 · Verse 22

Judges 6:22

And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
Judges 6:22, King James Version

Judges 6:22 in other translations

BSBWhen Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
WEBGideon saw that he was the LORD’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Because I have seen the LORD’s angel face to face!”
ASVAnd Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face.
YLTAnd Gideon seeth that He is a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, ‘Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!'
DARBYAnd Gideon perceived that he was an angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! for because I have seen an angel of Jehovah face to face...
BBEThen Gideon was certain that he was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, I am in fear, O Lord God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.
WebsterAnd when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

What does Judges 6:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 6:19-23

19-23. Gideon went in, and made ready a kid; ... the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot--(See on Ge 18:7). The flesh seems to have been roasted, which is done by cutting it into kobab, that is, into small pieces, fixed on a skewer, and put before the fire. The broth was for immediate use; the other, brought in a hand-basket was intended to be a future supply to the traveller. The miraculous fire…

Read the full comment on Judges 6:19-23 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen - This is an elliptical sentence, a natural expression of the distressed state of Gideon's mind: as if he had said, Have mercy on me, O Lord God! else I shall die; because I have seen an angel of Jehovah face to face. We have frequently seen that it was a prevalent sentiment, as well before as under the law, that if any man saw God, or his representative angel he must surely die. On this account Gideon is alarmed, and prays for his life. This notion prevailed among the heathens, and we find an instance of it in the fable of Jupiter and Semele. She wished to see his glory; she saw it, and was struck dead by the effulgence. See the notes on Exo 33:20. We find that a similar opinion prevailed very anciently among the Greeks. In the hymn of Callimachus, Εις Λουτρα της Παλλαδος, ver. 100, are these words: - Κρονιοι δ' ὡδε λεγοντι νομοι· Ὁς κε τιν' αθανατων, ὁκα μη θεος αυτος ἑληται, Αθρησῃ, μισθῳ τουτον ιδειν μεγαλῳ. "The laws of Saturn enact, that if any man see any of the immortal gods, unless that god himself shall choose it, he shall pay dearly for that sight."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 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…

Read the full comment on Judges 6:11-24 →

Judges 6:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֣רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
גִּדְע֔וֹןgid.'onGideonH1439
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
מַלְאַ֥ךְmal.'Akh[was] [the] angel ofH4397
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
ה֑וּא\ \סHu'itH1931
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
גִּדְע֗וֹןgid.'onGideonH1439
אֲהָהּ֙'a.Hahalas!H162
אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.NaiO LordH136
יְהוִ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3069
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
עַל\־'al-sinceH5921
כֵּ֤ןken<thus>H3651
רָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiI have seenH7200
מַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'Akh[the] angel ofH4397
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
פָּנִ֖יםpa.NimfaceH6440
אֶל\־'el-toH413
פָּנִֽים\׃pa.NimfaceH6440

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 6:22

  • Genesis 32:30

    And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

  • Exodus 33:20

    And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

  • Deuteronomy 5:26

    For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

  • John 1:18

    No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

  • John 12:41

    These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

  • Deuteronomy 5:5

    (I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

  • Genesis 16:13

    And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

  • Judges 13:21-23

    But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

  • Deuteronomy 5:24

    And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

  • Isaiah 6:5-8

    Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
perceived.
13:21
because.
13:22,23; Ge 16:13; 32:30; Ex 33:20; De 5:5,24,26; Isa 6:5-8
Joh 1:18; 12:41

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 6:21

    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.

  • Judges 6:22

    And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

  • Judges 6:23

    And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Read all of Judges 6

Judges 6:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y viendo Gedeón que era el ángel de Jehová, dijo: Ah, Señor Jehová, que he visto el ángel de Jehová cara á cara.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Gédéon vit que c’était un ange de l’ Éternel, et Gédéon dit: Ah! Seigneur Éternel, si c’est pour cela que j’ai vu l’Ange de l’ Éternel face à face!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sah Gideon, daß es der Engel Jehovas war, und Gideon sprach: Ach Herr, Jehova! Dieweil ich den Engel Jehovas gesehen habe von Angesicht zu Angesicht!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini, ait: Heu mi Domine Deus: quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem.