The Meaning of Judges 6:11 Explained

Judges 6:11

KJV: And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

YLT: And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which is in Ophrah, which is to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove it from the presence of the Midianites;

Darby: Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Jo'ash the Abiez'rite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Mid'ianites.

ASV: And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there came  an angel  of the LORD,  and sat  under an oak  which [was] in Ophrah,  that [pertained] unto Joash  the Abiezrite:  and his son  Gideon  threshed  wheat  by the winepress,  to hide  [it] from  the Midianites. 

What does Judges 6:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 6:7-18 - A Farmer Called To Be Deliverer
God is not content with sending a prophet to condemn our sins; He commissions an angel to bring help. Surely there is truth in the old belief that the Angel-Jehovah, designated here, was our Lord, whose delights were ever with the sons of men. Compare Isaiah 63:9 and Acts 7:30 with Exodus 3:2; Exodus 3:6. He still comes to us, not visibly to the eye, but sensibly to the heart. There is a peculiar burning at the heart, which those who love Him understand, when He manifests Himself to them as not to the world. See Luke 24:32 and John 14:21
Gideon was the youngest son of a poor family, which had suffered greatly at the hands of Midian. See Judges 8:18. He was compelled to thresh his wheat in the wine-press, below the surface of the ground, lest the Midianites should descend on it and carry it off. He seemed the least likely to be the chosen deliverer. But remember the Apostle's words, 1 Corinthians 1:26. There is a might that no human valor can impart; it is that which is communicated directly from Christ, as in Judges 6:14. And when Jesus looks and speaks, the young soul that stands in all humility before Him knows that it can do all things through Him who strengthens, Philippians 4:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 6

1  The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian
8  A prophet rebukes them
11  An angel sends Gideon for their deliverance
17  Gideon's present is consumed with fire
24  Gideon destroys Baal's altar; offers a sacrifice upon the altar Jehovah-shalom
28  Joash defends his son, and calls him Jerubbaal
33  Gideon's army
36  Gideon's signs

What do the individual words in Judges 6:11 mean?

And came the Angel of Yahweh and sat under the terebinth [tree] that [was] in Ophrah which [belonged] to Joash - the Abiezrite and while Gideon his son threshed wheat in the winepress in order to hide [it] from the Midianites
וַיָּבֹ֞א מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֗ה וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ תַּ֤חַת הָֽאֵלָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעָפְרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְיוֹאָ֖שׁ אֲבִ֣י הָֽעֶזְרִ֑י וְגִדְע֣וֹן בְּנ֗וֹ חֹבֵ֤ט חִטִּים֙ בַּגַּ֔ת לְהָנִ֖יס מִפְּנֵ֥י מִדְיָֽן

וַיָּבֹ֞א  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מַלְאַ֣ךְ  the  Angel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙  and  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
תַּ֤חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הָֽאֵלָה֙  the  terebinth  [tree] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵלָה  
Sense: terebinth, terebinth tree.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּעָפְרָ֔ה  in  Ophrah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עָפְרָה 
Sense: a Judaite, son of Meonothai.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  which  [belonged] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְיוֹאָ֖שׁ  to  Joash 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
אֲבִ֣י  - 
Parse:
הָֽעֶזְרִ֑י  the  Abiezrite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִי  
Sense: one of the family of Abiezer, a descendant of Joseph’s son, Manasseh.
וְגִדְע֣וֹן  and  while  Gideon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גִּדְעֹון  
Sense: youngest son of Joash of the Abiezrites, fifth judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites.
בְּנ֗וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חֹבֵ֤ט  threshed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָבַט  
Sense: to beat, beat out, beat off, thresh.
חִטִּים֙  wheat 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: חִטָּה  
Sense: wheat.
בַּגַּ֔ת  in  the  winepress 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּת  
Sense: winepress, wine vat.
לְהָנִ֖יס  in  order  to  hide  [it] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מִדְיָֽן  the  Midianites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.