Judges 6:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What is the significance of the declaration, ‘Go in this thy fortress, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of Midian’ (Judges 6:14)? Gideon, encouraged by the angel to assemble forces and confront the enemy, responded, ‘And if the Lord be with us, why have we found all these evils? And where are all His miracles, which our fathers told us, saying, “The Lord brought us out of Egypt?” And now the Lord hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian’ (Judges 6:13). Thus, since Gideon recalled God's mighty deeds and had developed a strong belief that if God willed it, He could easily rescue the Israelites from their afflictions, the angel instructed him to go in his strength, assuring him that with such faith, he would prevail against Midian.

Gideon dismissed the angel of the Lord's greeting, responding with signs of fear and doubt. This indicated that he did not grasp the true significance of the angel's words or the identity of the one addressing him. The angel of the Lord once more redirected Gideon’s focus to what he had overlooked and firmly expressed His intention to deliver Israel through him from the Midianite oppressors. "Go," He said, "into this your stronghold, and you shall rescue Israel from the hands of Midian, and behold, I will send you." These words imply that, in vain, you, Gideon, have disregarded my salutation without proper reflection and understanding. Understand that this greeting does not pertain to mere earthly blessings, which carry little weight.