1 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 evil H7451 again H3254 in the sight H5869 of the LORD; H3068 and the LORD H3068 delivered H5414 them into the hand H3027 of the Philistines H6430 forty H705 years. H8141
2 And there was a certain H259 man H376 of Zorah, H6881 of the family H4940 of the Danites, H1839 whose name H8034 was Manoah; H4495 and his wife H802 was barren, H6135 and bare H3205 not.
3 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 unto the woman, H802 and said H559 unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, H6135 and bearest H3205 not: but thou shalt conceive, H2029 and bear H3205 a son. H1121
4 Now therefore beware, H8104 I pray thee, and drink H8354 not wine H3196 nor strong drink, H7941 and eat H398 not any unclean H2931 thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, H2030 and bear H3205 a son; H1121 and no razor H4177 shall come H5927 on his head: H7218 for the child H5288 shall be a Nazarite H5139 unto God H430 from the womb: H990 and he shall begin H2490 to deliver H3467 Israel H3478 out of the hand H3027 of the Philistines. H6430
6 Then the woman H802 came H935 and told H559 her husband, H376 saying, H559 A man H376 of God H430 came H935 unto me, and his countenance H4758 was like the countenance H4758 of an angel H4397 of God, H430 very H3966 terrible: H3372 but I asked H7592 him not whence he was, neither told H5046 he me his name: H8034
7 But he said H559 unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, H2030 and bear H3205 a son; H1121 and now drink H7941 no wine H3196 nor strong drink, H8354 neither eat H398 any unclean H2932 thing: for the child H5288 shall be a Nazarite H5139 to God H430 from the womb H990 to the day H3117 of his death. H4194
8 Then Manoah H4495 intreated H6279 the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 O H994 my Lord, H136 let H4994 the man H376 of God H430 which thou didst send H7971 come again H935 unto us, and teach H3384 us what we shall do H6213 unto the child H5288 that shall be born. H3205
9 And God H430 hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of Manoah; H4495 and the angel H4397 of God H430 came again H935 unto the woman H802 as she sat H3427 in the field: H7704 but Manoah H4495 her husband H376 was not with her.
10 And the woman H802 made haste, H4116 and ran, H7323 and shewed H5046 her husband, H376 and said H559 unto him, Behold, the man H376 hath appeared H7200 unto me, that came H935 unto me the other day. H3117
11 And Manoah H4495 arose, H6965 and went H3212 after H310 his wife, H802 and came H935 to the man, H376 and said H559 unto him, Art thou the man H376 that spakest H1696 unto the woman? H802 And he said, H559 I am.
12 And Manoah H4495 said, H559 Now let thy words H1697 come to pass. H935 How shall we order H4941 the child, H5288 and how shall we do H4639 unto him?
13 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Manoah, H4495 Of all that I said H559 unto the woman H802 let her beware. H8104
14 She may not eat H398 of any thing that cometh H3318 of the vine, H1612 neither let her drink H8354 wine H3196 or strong drink, H7941 nor eat H398 any unclean H2932 thing: all that I commanded H6680 her let her observe. H8104
15 And Manoah H4495 said H559 unto the angel H4397 of the LORD, H3068 I pray thee, let us detain H6113 thee, until we shall have made ready H6213 a kid H1423 H5795 for H6440 thee.
16 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Manoah, H4495 Though thou detain H6113 me, I will not eat H398 of thy bread: H3899 and if H518 thou wilt offer H6213 a burnt offering, H5930 thou must offer H5927 it unto the LORD. H3068 For Manoah H4495 knew H3045 not that he was an angel H4397 of the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 13
Commentary on Judges 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 13
Jud 13:1. Israel Serves the Philistines Forty Years.
1. the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years—The Israelites were represented (Jud 10:6, 7) as having fallen universally into a state of gross and confirmed idolatry, and in chastisement of this great apostasy, the Lord raised up enemies that harassed them in various quarters, especially the Ammonites and Philistines. The invasions and defeat of the former were narrated in the two chapters immediately preceding this; and now the sacred historian proceeds to describe the inroads of the latter people. The period of Philistine ascendency comprised forty years, reckoning from the time of Elon till the death of Samson.
Jud 13:2-10. An Angel Appears to Manoah's Wife.
2. Zorah—a Danite town (Jos 15:33) lying on the common boundary of Judah and Dan, so that it was near the Philistine border.
3. the angel of the Lord—The messenger of the covenant, the divine personage who made so many remarkable appearances of a similar kind already described.
5. thou shalt conceive, and bear a son—This predicted child was to be a Nazarite. The mother was, therefore, for the sake of her promised offspring, required to practice the rigid abstinence of the Nazarite law (see on Nu 6:2).
he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines—a prophecy encouraging to a patriotic man; the terms of it, however, indicated that the period of deliverance was still to be distant.
6-8. then Manoah entreated the Lord—On being informed by his wife of the welcome intimation, the husband made it the subject of earnest prayer to God. This is a remarkable instance, indicative of the connection which God has established between prayer and the fulfilment of His promises.
Jud 13:11-14. The Angel Appears to Manoah.
11. Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman?—Manoah's intense desire for the repetition of the angel's visit was prompted not by doubts or anxieties of any kind, but was the fruit of lively faith, and of his great anxiety to follow out the instructions given. Blessed was he who had not seen, yet had believed.
Jud 13:15-23. Manoah's Sacrifice.
15. Manoah said unto the angel …, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid—The stranger declined the intended hospitality and intimated that if the meat were to be an offering, it must be presented to the Lord [Jud 13:6]. Manoah needed this instruction, for his purpose was to offer the prepared viands to him, not as the Lord, but as what he imagined him to be, not even an angel (Jud 13:16), but a prophet or merely human messenger. It was on this account, and not as rejecting divine honors, that he spoke in this manner to Manoah. The angel's language was exactly similar to that of our Lord (Mt 19:17).
17-20. Manoah said unto the angel …, What is thy name?—Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor—in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jud 13:24, 25. Samson Born.
24. the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson—The birth of this child of promise, and the report of the important national services he was to render, must, from the first, have made him an object of peculiar interest and careful instruction.
25. the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times—not, probably, as it moved the prophets, who were charged with an inspired message, but kindling in his youthful bosom a spirit of high and devoted patriotism.
Eshtaol—the free city. It, as well as Zorah, stood on the border between Judah and Dan.