Judges 13:1-6

Birth of Samson, the Last Judge

1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord's sight,[a] so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines 40 years.
2 There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was barren and had no children.
3 The Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "It is true that you are barren and have no children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
4 Now please be careful not to drink wine or other alcoholic beverages, or to eat anything unclean;
5 for indeed, you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair,[b] because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines."
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me. He looked like the awe-inspiring Angel of God. I didn't ask Him where He came from, and He didn't tell me His name.

Judges 13:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 13

This chapter relates the birth of Samson, another of the judges of Israel, which was foretold by an angel to his mother, who told her husband of it, Jud 13:1-7 upon whose entreaty the angel appeared again, and related the same to them both, Jud 13:8-14 and who was very, respectfully treated by the man, and by the wonderful things he did was known by him to be an angel of the Lord, which greatly surprised him, Jud 13:15-23 and the chapter is closed with an account of the birth of Samson, and of his being early endowed with the Spirit of God, Jud 13:24,25.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Jdg 3:12; 4:1; 10:6
  • [b]. Lit And a razor is not to go up on his head
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