Lectionary Calendar
Monday, April 13th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Judges 6:22

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!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (Holy Trinity);   Angel (a Spirit);   Communion;   Gideon;   God;   Jesus, the Christ;   Judge;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Zeal, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Christ Is God;   Prayer, Private;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ophrah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Feasts and Festivals of Israel;   Fire;   Hospitality;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abiezer;   Angels;   Joash;   Ophrah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Altar;   Judges, Book of;   Theophany;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Angel of the Lord (Jahweh);   Judges (1);   Levi;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Ophrah;   Prayer;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jerubbaal;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gideon;   Midian;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Face;   Gideon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - God;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Angelology;   Gideon;   Miracle;  

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!"
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;
Contemporary English Version
Gideon realized that he had seen one of the Lord 's angels. "Oh!" he moaned. "Now I'm going to die."
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 The Lord 's angelic messenger came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash's son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress so he could hide it from the Midianites. 12 The Lord 's messenger appeared and said to him, "The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!" 13 Gideon said to him, "Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian." 14 Then the Lord himself turned to him and said, "You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?" 15 Gideon said to him, "But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family." 16 The Lord said to him, "Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army." 17 Gideon said to him, "If you really are pleased with me, then give me a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 18 Do not leave this place until I come back with a gift and present it to you." The Lord said, "I will stay here until you come back." 19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 20 God's messenger said to him, "Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, and pour out the broth." Gideon did as instructed.

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
So the Lord said, "My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years."
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.
Genesis 6:7
So the Lord said, "I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them."
Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord .
Genesis 7:5
And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
Genesis 7:9
male and female, came into the ark to Noah, just as God had commanded him.
Genesis 7:16
Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.
Genesis 17:23
Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) and circumcised them on that very same day, just as God had told him to do.
Exodus 40:16
This is what Moses did, according to all the Lord had commanded him—so he did.
Exodus 40:19
Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, 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."


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile