Judges 13:1-6

1 The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.
2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children.
3 The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, "You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son.
4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food;
5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines." 1
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, "A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the 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.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 13.5Numbers 6.1-5.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. nazirite: [A person who showed devotion to God by taking vows not to drink wine or beer or allow any hair to be cut or touch corpses (see Nu 6.1-8).]
  • [b]. the angel; [or] an angel.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.