Judges 6:12-14

Context
6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me,¹ but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster² overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said,³ ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself⁴ turned to him and said, “You have the strength.⁵ Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites!⁶ Have I not sent you?”

[6:13] ¹tn Heb “But my lord.”

[6:13] ²tn Heb “all this.”

[6:13] ³tn Heb “saying.”

[6:14] ⁴sn Some interpreters equate the Lord and the messenger in this story, but they are more likely distinct. In vv. 22-23 the Lord and Gideon continue to carry on a conversation after the messenger has vanished (v. 21).

[6:14] ⁵tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”

[6:14] ⁶tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”