THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
The angel did not take pleasure in the glory of God; instead, he performed the duties of a priest, struck the rock with his staff, and presented the burnt offering through a wondrous fire.
Judges 6:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And the angel of the Lord said to him: Take the flesh and the unleavened loaves, and lay them upon that rock, and pour out the broth thereon. And when he had done so,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים קַ֣ח אֶת־הַבָּשָׂ֤ר וְאֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת֙ וְהַנַּח֙ אֶל־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַלָּ֔ז וְאֶת־הַמָּרַ֖ק שְׁפ֑וֹךְ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ כֵּֽן׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Gregory the Great
Jerabalus, also known as Gideon, encountered the angel while he was threshing wheat in the grain mill. At the angel's command, he swiftly prepared a goat, placed the meat and unleavened bread upon a rock, and poured out the broth. The angel then touched the offering with his staff, and fire erupted from the stone, consuming the sacrifice. To winnow the wheat signifies the righteous discernment that separates the grain of goodness from the chaff of wrongdoing. This is precisely the action of the angel; as individuals earnestly cleanse themselves of external distractions, the Lord reveals deeper spiritual truths to them. The directive to sacrifice a goat symbolizes the need to relinquish all desires of the flesh, with the meat arranged upon a rock and the broth poured over it.
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The rock represents Christ, as Paul states, "But the stone was Christ" (1 Cor. 10:4). We place the meat on the rock when we emulate Christ through the crucifixion of our physical selves. The broth is poured out by one who, inspired by Christ's example, seeks to rid themselves of even the most fleeting carnal thoughts. In a sense, when the broth is poured out, it represents the mind's liberation from a torrent of earthly thoughts. Following this, the angel touches us with the rod, symbolizing that the power of God's assistance is always present to support our desires for holiness. Fire then emerges from the stone, consuming the broth and meat; this fire is the Spirit sent by the Redeemer, igniting within us a profound sense of repentance that purges all that is unrighteous from our actions and thoughts.
Vissarion (Nechaev)
The Angel of the Lord responds to Gideon's plea by accepting his offerings as a sacrifice. The altar is situated at a barren place near the rock, which in the Hebrew text is identified as the rock itself. On this altar, the flesh of the goat and unleavened bread are presented, and this is anointed with a libation of yuhi, rather than wine poured over the meat as is customary in burnt offerings. The miraculous sign that Gideon most wished to see did not appear right away; however, it would soon manifest.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.