Judges 6:17

Shew me a sign. It seems from v. 22 that Gideon may not have been fully convinced that his visitor was a heavenly being. His request, then, was for a miracle to demonstrate that the messenger had power and authority sufficient to back up his assertion that the Midianites could be destroyed.

Present. The word may mean either “offering” or “present.” It is used in the latter sense in ch. 3:15, 17, although its more common use is for an offering made to God. Gideon may have purposely intended to be vague. He may have used this ambiguous word, suspecting, but not yet convinced, that the stranger under the terebinth was more than human. If his visitor were merely a man, he would eat the food provided; if he were a heavenly being, he would accept it as a sacrificial offering and not as food.