The Book of Judges
Judges 13
Chapter XIII · Vol. II, pp. 607–608
1 Israel is in the hand of the Philistines. 2 An angel appeareth to Manoah's wife. 8 The angel appeareth to Manoah. 15 Manoah's sacrifice, whereby the angel is discovered. 24 Samson is born.
1 And the children of Israel adid evil 1again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.2
B.C. 1135 or 1155.
a ch.2.11; 3.7; 4.1; 6.1; 10.6. 1 Sa.12.9.
1 Heb. added to commit, &c. Perhaps this servitude under the Philistines commenced about the tenth year of that under the Ammonites, ch. 10. 8, or under Ibzan, ch. 12. 8.
2 See note on ch. 8.28.—C.
2 And there was a certain man of bZorah,3 of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was cbarren, and bare not.
3 And the dangel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, eBehold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
d Christ, ch.2.1; 6.11. Ge.17.16; 18.10. Is.63.9. Lu.1.13,31.
e Ge.17.16; 25.23; 30.22. 1 Sa.1.20. Lu.1.13,31.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and fdrink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean4 thing:
f Nu.6.2,3.
4 The vow of the Nazarite required this abstinence. To attract attention to the prophecy concerning the deliverer, the rules of Nazaritism are extended to the mother. The Scriptures often and evidently intimate, what human observation has daily confirmed, that more of the character and future progress of children depend upon mothers than upon fathers. Without searching, or perhaps being able to search, farther into the causes of this fact, enough appears to account for it in the greater intercourse of mothers with their children in childhood, when the future character is generally formed, and that before many suppose that any bias has been given.—C.
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and gno razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall hbegin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A iman of God5 came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name.
i De.33.1. 1 Ki.17.18. 2 Ki.4.9. Jos.14.6. 1 Ti.6.11, i.e., as she conceived, a holy prophet; but it was the angel Jehovah or Christ.
5 She supposed him a prophet of God from his conversation, which was godly, and his countenance, which was terrible.—C.
7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, klet the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 And God lhearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
A.M. 2869 B.C. 1135
l Ps.65.2. Mat.7.7-11.
10 And mthe woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.6
11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman?7 And he said, I am.
7 Manoah, as well as his wife, takes the angel for a mere prophet.—Note, Christians are just as liable to mistake in estimating the true character of God's messengers. Men no doubt they are, and not angels; still the character of messenger, and the truth of their message, entitle them to esteem 'for their work's sake.'—C.
12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: nhow shall we order8 the child? and how shall we do9 unto him?1
13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 She omay not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee until we pshall have made ready a kid for thee.2
p ch.6.18,19. Ge.18.5. Lu.24.30,31,41-43.
2 'In many things all offend, and in all things they come short,' but no servant of God is ever charged with want of hospitality. It distinguished all the patriarchs, it distinguished the primitive Christians, and it is enjoined as a duty of perpetual obligation on the church, He.13.2.—C.
16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, qthou must offer it unto the LORD: for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may rdo thee honour?
18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, sWhy askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is 3secret?4
3 Or, wonderful?
4 The word here translated secret, is, in Is.9.6, translated wonderful, and is the evident meaning here. It is as if the angel had said, 'Why askest thou after my name? since, seeing the wonderful things I state, and the wonderful impression made by my appearance, must suggest that my name, my proper description, is wonderful.'—C.
19 So Manoah ttook a kid with a meat-offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel udid wondrously;5 and Manoah and his wife looked on.
t ch.6.26. 1 Sa.7.9. 1 Ki.18.30-38.
u Jos.5.13. ch.6.21. 1 Ki.18.38.
5 There is a characteristic and most expressive play upon the word 'wonderful' here. The angel said his name was 'wonderful,' i.e. it was absolutely and supremely wonderful, as a predicate applicable to God alone. Then, when the offering is laid on the rock, the historian says, 'and wonderful was the act,' or event which followed, and which is recorded in ver.20.—P.
20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD xascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on it, yand fell on their faces to the ground.
21 (But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife.) Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
23 But his wife asaid unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands; neither would he have bshowed us all these things; nor would, as at this time, have told us such things as these.
24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson:6 and cthe child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 And the dSpirit of the LORD began to move him at times in ethe camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.7
d ch.3.10; 6.34; 11.29. Jn.3.34.
e ch.18.12; 16.31; 18.2,11. Jos.19.41; 15.33.
7 Mahaneh-Dan (translated 'camp of Dan') is here a proper name. It was given to the spot in which the Danites who migrated from the inheritance of their fathers to Laish, in the north of Palestine, as recorded in ch.18.12, had encamped. It was situated between the towns of Zorah (Samson's native city) and Eshtaol.—P.
Notes
[Ver. 23. Have told us such things as these. To argue from the past to the future is one of the soundest principles of piety. The believer 'calls to remembrance his song in the night;' 'he remembers the days of old;' especially he argues that, 'if God spared not his own Son, but freely gave him up to the death for us all, how much more will he also with him freely give us all things?' So argued the wife of Manoah, one of the most perfect specimens of good understanding and solid piety that the Scriptures anywhere record. C.]
Ver. 25. [The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times. Many changes take place between childhood and youth; still the child is generally the miniature of the future man, in character as much as in body. Parental partiality is not indeed either the most impartial or most accurate judge; but if a community notice any extraordinary endowments of a child, they seldom fail to be developed in the man. These extraordinary qualifications may, or may not, be indicated by bodily form; but their origin the Scriptures ascribe not to matter, organization, and form, but to the Spirit of the living God. See note on ch. 11. 29. C.]
Reflections.—Where there is the greatest danger and the least prospect of relief, it often comes. Mercies long waited for are rendered remarkably valuable for the encouragement of others to wait on the Lord. And to support the sinking spirits of his people, God often issues promises of salvation long before they are fulfilled. Those whom God honours to be deliverers of churches and nations, ought to be remarkably holy themselves, and devoted to the service of God. Parents ought to beware of infecting their children with anything of fleshly lusts; and married persons ought to communicate their spiritual experiences one to another. Divine instructions animate our desire after further fellowship with God: and how ready is God to satisfy such longing desires! Such as enjoy real communion with him wish all their relations to share of it. And such as know the real importance of children, will be earnestly desirous of God's direction and assistance in their education, for his honour. Mercies are mercies indeed only when they are rightly managed. But so treacherous are our memories and hearts, that we need line upon line, and precept upon precept; and to have always at hand a loving and careful remembrancer. Gratitude to God and to his ministers for his sake is highly agreeable; but let us never tempt the one nor the other with our curious inquiries. What God conceals we may be holy without the knowledge of; and if we ask in prayer what is not for our real advantage, it is a great mercy to have our suit denied. But how animating is it to behold an ascending Redeemer carrying our hearts and services, all inflamed with his love, along with him! Let not his saints, through unbelief, be afraid of their signal mercies, or afraid to die in the Lord; but ever put a just and favourable construction on the providences of God, and ever look to Jesus' sacrifice as the great foundation of their hopes and comforts. God's promises shall most certainly be fulfilled. And how pleasant to observe the early impressions of God's Spirit upon our children!