Judges 13:22

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die because we have seen God.

Judges 13:22 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 13:22

And Manoah said unto his wife
Being risen from the ground, where they fell on their faces:

we shall surely die, because we have seen God;
by which it appears that he not only believed him to be an angel, and not a man, but a divine Person; for though angels are sometimes called "Elohim", the word here used, yet good men were not wont to fear death, or conclude they should die on sight of an angel; but their notion was, that an appearance of God to them was death, and were surprised when it did not follow, ( Genesis 32:30 ) ( Judges 6:22 Judges 6:23 ) ( Exodus 33:20 ) .

Judges 13:22 In-Context

20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar as Manoah and his wife looked on, and they prostrated themselves on the ground on their faces.

21 But the angel of the LORD did not appear any more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD had desired to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and the present from our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would he have announced this according to the time.

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.