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.
An angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak tree in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash from the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat by the winepress, hiding it from the Midianites.
God's angel comes to meet Gideon, who is secretly working to hide his grain from enemy raiders who have been stealing from his people.
📚 Historical Context
During the period of the Judges in ancient Israel, the nation was repeatedly oppressed by neighboring peoples due to their unfaithfulness to God, and at this time, the Midianites were raiding their lands, destroying crops, and leaving the Israelites in poverty and fear. Gideon, a member of the tribe of Manasseh, was threshing wheat in a hidden winepress to avoid detection, reflecting the daily struggles and desperation of his people under this oppression. This scene introduces the divine intervention that would lead to Gideon's role as a judge and deliverer.
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