Judges 6:21
in Judges 6Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 6
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe angel - put forth the end of the staff - He appeared like a traveler with a staff in his hand; this he put forth, and having touched the flesh, fire rose out of the rock and consumed it. Here was the most evident proof of supernatural agency. Then the angel - departed out of his sight - Though the angel vanished out of his sight, yet God continued to converse with him either by secret inspiration in his own heart, or by an audible voice.
This site's exposition
lay them on this rock
on Judges 6:20-21
Flesh laid on bare rock with the broth poured over it has stopped being supper and become an offering. Then "fire flared from the rock", the mark of an accepted sacrifice at Leviticus 9:24 and 1 Kings 18:38, and the angel at Manoah's altar goes up in the flame at 13:20. The angel touches the food with his staff and vanishes, so it is burned instead of eaten.
This site's exposition
the tip of the staff
Adam Clarke reads the staff as part of the angel's appearance as a traveller. He adds that the angel vanished and the conversation went on, with God speaking to Gideon by inward inspiration or by an audible voice. Verse 23 continues the conversation.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And Gideon, moved by that message, when he heard that, though thousands of the people failed, God would deliver His own from their enemies by means of one man, offered a kid, and according to the word of the Angel, laid its flesh and the unleavened cakes upon the rock, and poured the broth upon them. And as soon as the Angel touched them with the end of the staff which he bore, fire burst forth out of the rock, and so the sacrifice which he was offering was consumed.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "The humour," therefore, "is wiped off," when sin is not only severed from the deed, but also from the thought. It is hence that Jerubbaal saw the Angel when he was winnowing corn from the chaff, at whose bidding he forthwith dressed a kid and set it upon a rock, and poured over it the broth of the flesh, which the Angel touched with a rod, and thereupon fire coming out of the rock consumed it. For what else is it to beat corn with a rod, but to separate the grains of virtues from the chaff of vices, with an upright judgment? But to those that are thus employed the Angel presents himself, in that the Lord is more ready to communicate interior truths in proportion as men are more earnest in ridding themselves of external things. And he orders a kid to be killed, i.e. every appetite of the flesh to be sacrificed, and the flesh to be set upon a rock, and the broth thereof to be poured upon it. Whom else does the "rock" represent, saving Him, of Whom it is said by Paul, "And that rock was Christ"? We "set flesh then upon the rock," when in imitation of Christ we crucify our body. He too pours the juice of the flesh over it, who, in following the conversation of Christ, empties himself even of the mere thoughts of the flesh themselves. For "the broth" of the dissolved flesh is in a manner "poured upon the rock," when the mind is emptied of the flow of carnal thoughts too. Yet the Angel directly touches it with a rod, in that the might of God's succour never leaves our striving forsaken. And fire issues from the rock, and consumes the broth and the flesh, in that the Spirit, breathed upon us by the Redeemer, lights up the heart with so fierce a flame of compunction, that it consumes every thing in it that is unlawful either in deed or in thought.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Here was as much of a sign as he could wish. (8.) Gideon, though no doubt he was confirmed in his faith by the indications given of the divinity of the person who had spoken to him, yet for the present was put into a great fright by it, till God graciously pacified him and removed his fears. [1.] Gideon speaks peril to himself (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But though he must no longer walk by sight he might still live by faith, that faith which comes by hearing; for the Lord said to him, with an audible voice (as bishop Patrick thinks) these encouraging words, " Peace be unto thee, all is well, and be thou satisfied that it is so.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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 words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח | vaiyishlach | and he stretched out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מַלְאַ֣ךְ | malakh | [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קְצֵ֤ה | ketzeh | [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| הַמִּשְׁעֶ֙נֶת֙ | hamishenet | the staff | H4938 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיָד֔וֹ | beyado | [was] in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּגַּ֥ע | vaiyiga' | and he touched | H5060 → | 150 times |
| בַּבָּשָׂ֖ר | babasar | <in> the meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וּבַמַּצּ֑וֹת | uvammatzot | and <in> the unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → | 53 times |
| וַתַּ֨עַל | vataal | and it went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הָאֵ֜שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַצּ֗וּר | hatzur | the rock | H6697 → | 78 times |
| וַתֹּ֤אכַל | vatokhal | and it consumed | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבָּשָׂר֙ | habasar | the meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּצּ֔וֹת | hamatzot | the unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → | 53 times |
| וּמַלְאַ֣ךְ | umalakh | and [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הָלַ֖ךְ | halakh | he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מֵעֵינָֽיו׃ | meeinav | from eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַ֞חand he stretched out
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
מַלְאַ֣ךְ[the] angel of
malakhH4397 →213 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קְצֵ֤ה[the] end of
ketzehH7097 →97 times
הַמִּשְׁעֶ֙נֶת֙the staff
hamishenetH4938 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיָד֔וֹ[was] in hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּגַּ֥עand he touched
vaiyiga'H5060 →150 times
בַּבָּשָׂ֖ר<in> the meat
babasarH1320 →270 times
וּבַמַּצּ֑וֹתand <in> the unleavened bread<s>
uvammatzotH4682 →53 times
וַתַּ֨עַלand it went up
vataalH5927 →890 times
הָאֵ֜שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַצּ֗וּרthe rock
hatzurH6697 →78 times
וַתֹּ֤אכַלand it consumed
vatokhalH398 →810 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבָּשָׂר֙the meat
habasarH1320 →270 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַמַּצּ֔וֹתthe unleavened bread<s>
hamatzotH4682 →53 times
וּמַלְאַ֣ךְand [the] angel of
umalakhH4397 →213 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הָלַ֖ךְhe went
halakhH1980 →1546 times
מֵעֵינָֽיו׃from eyes his
meeinavH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 18:38Then 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.
it leads to
- 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…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 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.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 18:24
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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.
- Leviticus 9:24
Through
2 Chronicles 7:1When 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.
it leads to
- 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 9:23–24
Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
- 1 Kings 18:38
Through
Leviticus 9:24Fire 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…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:38–39
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.
- Judges 13:19–20
Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.
- 1 Kings 18:38–39
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On the Holy Spirit, Book 1; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job 3.30.59; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.