Judges 6:22

Contemporary English Version

Gideon realized that he had seen one of the Lord 's angels. "Oh!" he moaned. "Now I'm going to die."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Gideon realized that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

Hebrew Names Version
Gid`on saw that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gid`on said, Alas, Lord GOD! because I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, "Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face."

English Standard Version
Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord . And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God ! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."

New Century Version
Then Gideon understood he had been talking to the angel of the Lord . So Gideon cried out, "Lord God ! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"

New English Translation
When Gideon realized that it was the Lord 's messenger, he said, "Oh no! Master, Lord ! I have seen the Lord 's messenger face to face!"

Amplified Bible
When Gideon realized [without any doubt] that He was the Angel of the LORD, he declared, "Oh no, Lord GOD! For now I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face [and I am doomed]!"

New American Standard Bible
When Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Oh, Lord GOD! For I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Gideon perceiued that it was an Angel of the Lord, Gideon then sayde, Alas, my Lord God: for because I haue seene an Angell of the Lord face to face, I shall die.

Legacy Standard Bible
And on some, who are doubting, have mercy;

Complete Jewish Bible
Gid‘on realized that he was the angel of Adonai and said, "Oh no! My Lord! Adonai ! Because I've seen the angel of Adonai face-to-face!"

Darby Translation
And 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 …

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Gideon realized that he had been talking to the angel of the Lord . So he shouted, "Oh, Lord God ! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"

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

Good News Translation
Gideon then realized that it was the Lord 's angel he had seen, and he said in terror, "Sovereign Lord ! I have seen your angel face-to-face!"

Literal Translation
And Gideon saw that He was the Angel of Jehovah. And Gideon said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! Because I have seen the Angel of Jehovah face to face!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now wha Gedeon sawe that it was an angell of ye LORDE, he sayde: O LORDE LORDE, haue I thus sene an angell of ye LORDE face to face?

American Standard Version
And 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.

Bible in Basic English
Then 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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Gedeon perceaued that it was an angel of the Lorde, he sayde: Alas, O Lorde God, haue I therfore seene an angel of the Lorde face to face, [that I should dye?]

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said: 'Alas, O Lord GOD! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.'

King James Version (1611)
And when Gideon perceiued that hee was an Angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God: for because I haue seene an Angel of the Lord face to face.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Gedeon saw that he was an angel of the Lord; and Gedeon said, Ah, ah, Lord my God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

English Revised Version
And Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.

Berean Standard Bible
When 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!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Gedeon siy that he was `an aungel of the Lord, and seide, Lord God, alas to me, for Y siy the aungel of the Lord face to face.

Young's Literal Translation
And 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!'

Update Bible Version
And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Yahweh! since I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Yahweh! because I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.

New King James Version
Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."

New Living Translation
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord , he cried out, "Oh, Sovereign Lord , I'm doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"

New Life Bible
So Gideon knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And he said, "I am afraid, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."

New Revised Standard
Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord ; and Gideon said, "Help me, Lord God ! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then saw Gideon that, the messenger of Yahweh, it was, - so Gideon said - Alas, My Lord Yahweh! forasmuch as I have seen the messenger of Yahweh, face to face!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Gedeon seeing that it was the angel of the Lord, said: Alas, my Lord God: for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

Revised Standard Version
Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."

Contextual Overview

¹¹ One day an angel from the Lord went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash's son Gideon was nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites. ¹² The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, "The Lord is helping you, and you are a strong warrior." ¹³ Gideon answered, "Please don't take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We've heard how the Lord performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the Lord has abandoned us to the Midianites." ¹⁴ Then the Lord himself said, "Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites." ¹⁵ Gideon replied, "But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am." ¹⁶ "Gideon," the Lord answered, "you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man." ¹⁷ Gideon said, "It's hard to believe that I'm actually talking to the Lord . Please do something so I'll know that you really are the Lord . ¹⁸ And wait here until I bring you an offering." "All right, I'll wait," the Lord answered. ¹⁹ Gideon went home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread. When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree. ²⁰ God's angel said, "Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them." Gideon did as he was told.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

perceived: Judges 13:21

because: Judges 13:22, Judges 13:23, Genesis 16:13, Genesis 32:30, Exodus 33:20, Deuteronomy 5:5, Deuteronomy 5:24, Deuteronomy 5:26, Isaiah 6:5-8, John 1:18, John 12:41

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:33 - General Daniel 10:17 - talk Luke 1:12 - he Luke 9:34 - and they

Cross-References

Genesis 6:3
Then the Lord said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years."

Genesis 6:4
The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later.

Genesis 6:7
and he said, "I'll destroy every living creature on earth! I'll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I'm sorry I ever made them."

Genesis 6:8
But the Lord was pleased with Noah,

Genesis 7:5
Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the Lord had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him.

Genesis 7:16
just as God had told him to do. And when they were all in the boat, God closed the door.

Genesis 17:23
On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was ninety-nine years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

Exodus 40:16
Moses followed the Lord 's instructions.

Exodus 40:19
then the two layers of coverings were hung over them.

Exodus 40:21
The chest was brought into the tent and set behind the curtain in the most holy place. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Gideon perceived he was an angel of the Lord,.... By the miracle wrought, and the manner of his departure:

Gideon said, alas! O Lord God; woe to me, what will become of me, or befall me, I shall surely die:

for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face; and whom he had reason to believe was the Lord himself, a divine Person, by the miracle wrought; and it was a commonly received notion even among good men, in those times, that the Lord was not to be seen by them and live, as appears from Jacob, Manoah, and others; at least the appearance of a divine Person, and even of any messenger from heaven, was startling, surprising, and frightful to them; which arose from a sense they had of the divine Being, and of their own sinfulness and frailty.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Alas, O Lord GOD! - Compare Joshua 7:7. “because I have seen an angel of the Lord” Compare the marginal references, in which the notion that it was death for mortal man to see God appears clearly. The same notion prevailed among the pagan.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 6:22. 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 Exodus 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."