Judges 6:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

A young woman well-versed in the Scriptures might recall that when the angel approached Gideon with the message, ‘The Lord is with thee’ (Judges 6:12), it was a moment of preparation for extraordinary deeds and for the deliverance of the Israelites from their foes. She was ‘troubled’ (Luke 1:29), as the Evangelist narrates, not out of doubt or disbelief, but due to a sense of humility in the face of an astonishing possibility.

The angel of the Lord appeared before him. While Gideon was diligently working at the lathe, he may not have initially perceived the angel resting beneath the oak tree. However, the angel revealed his presence through a greeting: "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." This phrase, "The Lord is with you," served as a familiar salutation among the Hebrews during gatherings. For instance, Boaz welcomed his harvesters in the field with the words "The Lord be with you," to which they responded, "The Lord bless you" (Ruth 2:4). Yet, when the Angel of the Lord spoke "The Lord is with you," it transcended a simple courteous greeting; it conveyed the profound reality of God's encompassing blessing and promise. Referring to Gideon as a mighty warrior indicated that, empowered by God's blessing, he would be formidable and resilient in fulfilling his divinely appointed mission, overcoming every hindrance in the quest to liberate Israel from Midian’s grasp.