Judges13
New American Standard
1Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.
2And there was a man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was infertile and had not given birth to any children.
3Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are infertile and have not given birth; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
4And now, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.
5For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he will begin to save Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. So I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
7But he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
8Then Manoah pleaded with the Lord and said, “Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again so that he may teach us what we are to do for the boy who is to be born.”
9And God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10So the woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me!”
11So Manoah got up and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” And he said, “I am.”
12Then Manoah said, “Now when your words are fulfilled, what shall be the boy’s way of life and his vocation?”
13And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “The woman shall pay attention to all that I said.
14She shall not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; she shall keep all that I commanded.”
15Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.”
16But the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.
17And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that when your words are fulfilled, we may honor you?”
18But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, for it is wonderful?”
19So Manoah took the young goat along with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord; and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on.
20For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.
21Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.
22So Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die, for we have seen God.”
23But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time.”
24So the woman gave birth to a son, and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.
25And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him when he was in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Judges 13.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Philistines, Samson announced. (1–7). The angel appears to Manoah. (8–14). Manoah's sacrifice. (15–23). Birth of Samson. (24, 25).
vv1-7
Israel did evil: then God delivered them again into the hands of the Philistines. When Israel was in this distress, Samson was born. His parents had been long childless. Many eminent persons were born of such mothers. Mercies long waited for, often prove signal mercies; and by them others may be encouraged to continue their hope in God's mercy. The angel notices her affliction. God often sends comfort to his people very seasonably, when they feel their troubles most. This deliverer of Israel must be devoted to God. Manoah's wife was satisfied that the messenger was of God. She gave her husband a particular account, both of the promise and of the precept. Husbands and wives should tell each other their experiences of communion with God, and their improvements in acquaintance with him, that they may help each other in the way that is holy.
vv8-14
Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet, as Manoah, have believed. Good men are more careful and desirous to know the duty to be done by them, than to know the events concerning them: duty is ours, events are God's. God will guide those by his counsel, who desire to know their duty, and apply to him to teach them. Pious parents, especially, will beg Divine assistance. The angel repeats the directions he had before given. There is need of much care for the right ordering both of ourselves and our children, that we may be duly separate from the world, and living sacrifices to the Lord.
vv15-23
What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty, he was readily told; but what he asked to gratify his curiosity, was denied. God has in his word given full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer other questionings. There are secret things which belong not to us, of which we must be quite contented to be ignorant, while in this world. The name of our Lord is wonderful and secret; but by his wonderful works he makes himself known as far as is needful for us. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But without Christ in the heart by faith, our services are offensive smoke; in him, acceptable flame. We may apply this to Christ's sacrifice of himself for us; he ascended in the flame of his own offering, for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, Heb 9:12. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflection there is great faith. As a help meet for him, she encouraged him. Let believers who have had communion with God in the word and prayer, to whom he has graciously manifested himself, and who have had reason to think God has accepted their works, take encouragement from thence in a cloudy and dark day. God would not have done what he has done for my soul, if he had designed to forsake me, and leave me to perish at last; for his work is perfect. Learn to reason as Manoah's wife; If God designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not give me tokens of his favour.
Key Words
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
יָסַף: to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
רַע: bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
עַיִן: an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יָד: a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
פְּלִשְׁתִּי: a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth
אַרְבָּעִים: forty
Cross References
Judges 13Establishes the standard legal requirements for a Nazarite vow, which Samson was called to from birth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct law specifying that no razor shall touch the head of a dedicated Nazarite.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Connects the Angel's 'secret' (or 'Wonderful') name with the Messianic title in Isaiah.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel inquiry of a divine messenger's name, where the name is likewise withheld as secret.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Similar miraculous sign of fire consuming a sacrifice and the Angel's sudden departure.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel terror of Gideon realizing he had seen the Angel of the Lord face-to-face.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The foundational law that no man can see God's face and live, prompting Manoah's terror.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament parallel of John the Baptist, who was also forbidden wine from the womb.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Hannah's parallel vow dedicating her unborn son Samuel as a lifelong Nazarite.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Abrahamic precedent of offering hospitable food to travelers who were actually divine visitors.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament Hall of Faith commendation of Samson as a divinely raised deliverer.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms Samson only began deliverance, judging Israel twenty years during the forty-year Philistine oppression.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Geographical identification of Zorah on the border of Judah and Dan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates how the Spirit of the Lord actively empowered Samson for acts of physical deliverance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB