Judges 13:9-22

9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me."
11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to this woman?" And he said, "I am."
12 And Manoah said, "Now when your words come true, 1what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?"
13 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, 2neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe."
15 Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain you and 3prepare a young goat for you."
16 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD.)
17 And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, 4"What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?"
18 And the angel of the LORD said to him, 5"Why do you ask my name, seeing 6it is wonderful?"
19 So 7Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works[a] wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching.
20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, 8and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21 The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. 9Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD.
22 And Manoah said to his wife, 10"We shall surely die, for we have seen God."

Judges 13:9-22 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 10

  • 1. [Luke 1:66]
  • 2. ver. 4, 7
  • 3. Judges 6:19; [Genesis 18:5-8]
  • 4. [ver. 6]
  • 5. Genesis 32:29
  • 6. [Isaiah 9:6]
  • 7. Judges 6:19-21
  • 8. Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:16; Ezekiel 1:28
  • 9. Judges 6:22
  • 10. [See ver. 21 above]

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew Lord, and working
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.