Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Gideon uses the word "present" (Hebrew: minchah) which often refers to a grain offering, revealing his initial understanding of the visitor as divine, a potential deity who might accept such an offering. Yet, the text later clarifies this was meant as hospitality for a distinguished stranger, highlighting Gideon's evolving perception and God's willingness to meet him where he was.
Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Gideon, terrified by the divine encounter, asks the messenger of God to wait while he fetches an offering. He intends to prepare a meal, a "present" or "minchah," believing he's entertaining a distinguished stranger, and wants to test his identity by seeing if he will partake. The divine being agrees to wait, a gesture of incredible condescension before Gideon reveals his full identity and mission.
Gideon offers a 'present' to the visitor. What was he offering, and what does it reveal about his understanding of who he's talking to?
When Gideon invites the visitor to stay for a 'present,' the word used (minchah) can mean a gift or a meal offering. The commentators suggest Gideon likely intended it as a meal to honor a distinguished stranger, not necessarily a sacrifice.
This hospitality was a deeply ingrained cultural practice, a way to show respect and offer sustenance. However, the visitor's identity is still a mystery to Gideon at this point. He's acting out of politeness and perhaps a bit of curiosity, trying to figure out if this guest is more than just a man.
Gideon is clearly hesitant and unsure. Yet, the visitor agrees to wait. What does this show us about God's approach to us when we're struggling?
The visitor's simple reply, 'I will stay till you return,' is incredibly profound. Gideon is in a desperate situation, hiding from the Midianites and likely filled with fear and doubt. He hasn't yet grasped the magnitude of the person standing before him.
God, in the person of the Angel of the Lord, doesn't rush Gideon. He waits patiently while Gideon fetches his offering. This demonstrates a divine patience and understanding. God knows Gideon's weakness and fear, and He is willing to meet him where he is, even if it means waiting for him to prepare a meal.
Understand the original words
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minchah · Hebrew Noun
A gift offered to a superior, dignitary, or to God. In a religious context, it often refers to a tribute or a sacrificial offering intended to honor the recipient and establish or maintain a relationship.
Gideon's request to prepare a meal and his subsequent offering, along with the angel's acceptance, highlight his deep-seated doubt and the Midianites' oppressive fear, revealing how God meets us right in our insecurity.
c. 1170 BC
Israel Enters Period of Midianite Oppression
Following Israel's disobedience, God allowed the Midianites and their allies to oppress them severely for seven years. The Israelites were forced to hide and flee from their oppressors.
c. 1163 BC— this verse
Angel Appears to Gideon
An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon while he is secretly threshing wheat to hide it from the Midianites. This encounter marks the divine call of Gideon to deliver Israel.
c. 1163 BC
Gideon Prepares a Meal
Gideon, still unsure of the visitor's identity, rushes to prepare a meal ('present' or 'minchah') as an offering of hospitality and a test, while the angel waits.
c. 1163 BC
The Angel Consumes the Offering
The angel of the Lord consumes Gideon's offering with fire, revealing his divine nature and assuring Gideon that he has found favor and will be empowered to save Israel.
c. 1163 BC
Gideon Tears Down Baal Altar
As a sign of his commitment and God's power, Gideon, at God's command, destroys his father's altar to Baal and erects an altar to the Lord.
c. 1163 BC - c. 1156 BC
Gideon Leads Israel to Victory
Gideon, with a vastly reduced army, miraculously defeats the Midianite forces. This victory brings a period of peace and prosperity to Israel for 40 years.
This passage shows a similar divine guest (Abraham's visitors) accepting hospitality, highlighting the importance of showing respect and kindness to those who may be divine messengers, even when their true nature isn't fully known.
Genesis 13:15The word 'present' (Hebrew 'minchah') used by Gideon often refers to a grain offering. This verse connects to the idea of bringing offerings, echoing the ancient customs of presenting gifts to God or His representatives.
Judges 13:15-16In this parallel account, Manoah offers a similar 'present' to the angel of the Lord, demonstrating a recurring theme of offering food as hospitality and a way to discern the nature of a divine visitor.
1 Samuel 2:17This verse critiques priests who treated the Lord's offerings disrespectfully. It underscores the reverence and proper attitude expected when bringing 'presents' or offerings, whether to God directly or His messengers.
jfbJudges 6:18: "Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again."
- Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I … bring forth my present—Hebrew, my mincha, or "meat offering"; and his idea probably was to prove, by his visitor's partaking of the entertainment, whether or not he was more than man.
gillJudges 6:18: "Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again."
Intending to go to his own, or his father's house, to fetch some food to entertain him with, and therefore entreats he would not quit the place where he was until he returned: and bring forth my present, and set it before thee; to treat him with, as a stranger and a messenger of God; and perhaps he thought, by this means, the…
Gideon uses the word "present" (Hebrew: minchah) which often refers to a grain offering, revealing his initial understanding of the visitor as divine, a potential deity who might accept such an offering. Yet, the text later clarifies this was meant as hospitality for a distinguished stranger, highlighting Gideon's evolving perception and God's willingness to meet him where he was.
Gideon, terrified by the divine encounter, asks the messenger of God to wait while he fetches an offering. He intends to prepare a meal, a "present" or "minchah," believing he's entertaining a distinguished stranger, and wants to test his identity by seeing if he will partake. The divine being agrees to wait, a gesture of incredible condescension before Gideon reveals his full identity and mission.
Gideon, terrified by the divine encounter, asks the messenger of God to wait while he fetches an offering. He intends to prepare a meal, a "present" or "minchah," believing he's entertaining a distinguished stranger, and wants to test his identity by seeing if he will partake. The divine being agrees to wait, a gesture of incredible condescension before Gideon reveals his full identity and mission.
"Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”" — Gideon uses the word "present" (Hebrew: minchah) which often refers to a grain offering, revealing his initial understanding of the visitor as divine, a potential deity who might accept such an off…
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Last reviewed October 2026