In verse 6.17 Gideon requested that the angel provide a sign to confirm his identity. The sign is now given. Once again, there is a great deal of detail, building slowly up to the climax: and there sprang up fire….

Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes: Then is a good rendering of the Hebrew waw conjunction here, since it expresses consecutive action. When Gideon has placed his offering on the rock, then the angel reacts. This sentence contains two keywords in this book: the Hebrew verb (shalach) for reached out (literally “sent”) and the noun for hand. These same two words are used when Ehud used his left hand to kill the Israelite enemy, King Eglon (verse 3.21), and when Jael used her hands to kill Sisera (verse 5.26). Reached out may be rendered “extended.”

Staff renders a Hebrew word that most often refers to a walking stick or a shepherd’s staff. Though this word comes from a root meaning “lean on for support,” it can also be associated with royal authority. It is not the same word used for the staff that Moses and Aaron carried to perform their various deeds in front of Pharaoh. However, in many languages the same word will be used. The tip of the staff refers to the end of the stick. Since the staff has not been mentioned previously in the story, in some languages it may be necessary to present it as unknown information, for example, “The angel of the LORD held a walking stick in his hand, and he reached it out and touched … with the tip.”

Referring to the meat and the unleavened cakes shows once again the storyteller’s precision. In many languages these items can be referred to simply as “the food,” but translators can also try to imitate the Hebrew style here. The precision and detail here slow down the narration, as the suspense builds, and the audience wonders what will happen to this food placed on the rock.

We can render this sentence as:

• Then the angel of Yahweh reached out his hand and touched the meat and the bread with the tip of his walking stick.

• The LORD’s angel took his walking stick and reached out and touched the meat and bread with the tip.

And there sprang up fire from the rock is literally “and the fire went up from the rock.” Here the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and introduces the immediate result of the angel’s action. “Immediately” may be a good rendering here. Sprang renders the Hebrew verb whose primary sense is “go up” (ʿalah), a word that occurs repeatedly in this book with various meanings (see comments on verse 1.1). In other parts of the Old Testament, it is the normal verb used in connection with burnt offerings. Fire is often associated with God’s presence, for example, when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exo 3.2). The Hebrew word rendered rock is not the same one used in the previous verse, but rather one used often in the Psalms (see, for example, Psalm 31.2; verse 62.7; verse 71.3) and elsewhere as a figure for God. Like Revised Standard Version, many translators will use the same word for rock in both verses. This clause may be rendered “Fire burst out of the rock.” Contemporary English Version renders the drama well with “Flames jumped from the rock.”

And consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes refers literally to the fire “eating” the food set out as a sacrifice. The burning of the offering shows that it was accepted by the LORD. Consumed may be rendered “completely burned” or “burned up” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The Hebrew word for flesh is the same one rendered meat, and there is no real reason to have two variants in the translation. “Meat” would be a better rendering here. As earlier, unleavened cakes may be translated simply “bread.” This clause and the previous one are the climax of this episode, so translators should try to use appropriate markers in their language.

And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and is probably better translated “Then” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) to indicate the sequence of events. However, since this is a quick action, we might also say “Suddenly.” Vanished from his sight is literally “went from his eyes.” Just as the LORD’s angel appeared, seemingly out of nowhere (verse 6.11), so he disappears. Most languages will have an idiomatic expression to convey this idea.

The last half of this verse may be rendered:

• Fire burst out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread. And suddenly the angel of the LORD disappeared from Gideon’s sight.

• Fire flared up from the rock, completely consuming the meat and bread. Then Yahweh’s angel vanished from his sight.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .