Judges 13:1-7

The Birth of Samson

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth.
3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.
4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.
5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name.
7 But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’ ”

Judges 13:1-7 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 21

  • 1. S Judges 3:31; Judges 2:11; 1 Samuel 12:9
  • 2. Judges 14:4
  • 3. S Joshua 15:33; Joshua 19:41
  • 4. ver 8; Judges 16:31
  • 5. S Genesis 30:6
  • 6. S Genesis 11:30
  • 7. S Genesis 16:7; ver 6,8; Judges 6:12
  • 8. ver 10
  • 9. Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:13
  • 10. S Leviticus 10:9
  • 11. ver 14; Numbers 6:2-4; S Luke 1:15
  • 12. S Genesis 3:15
  • 13. Numbers 6:5; 1 Samuel 1:11
  • 14. S Numbers 6:2,13; Amos 2:11,12
  • 15. 1 Samuel 7:13
  • 16. ver 8; 1 Samuel 2:27; 1 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 13:1; 1 Kings 17:18
  • 17. S Numbers 22:22; ver 17-18; Matthew 28:3
  • 18. Psalms 66:5
  • 19. Jeremiah 35:6
  • 20. Leviticus 10:9
  • 21. 1 Samuel 1:11,28
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