Judges 13:20

20 As the flames leapt up from the altar to heaven, God's angel also ascended in the altar flames. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.

Judges 13:20 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 13:20

For it came to pass, when the flame went up towards heaven
from off the altar
That is, from the rock, which served instead of an altar, and from whence perhaps the fire sprung which consumed both the burnt offering and the meat offering, the flame of which went up to heaven; this rock or altar having no covering, but was "sub dio", open to the heavens:

that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar;
making use of the smoke, as Josephus F18 says, as a vehicle in which he openly went up to heaven:

and Manoah and his wife looked on it;
on the flame and smoke, and the angel in it as he ascended; just as the disciples of Christ looked steadfastly on him as he went up to heaven, when a cloud received him out of their sight, ( Acts 1:9 Acts 1:10 )

and fell on their faces to the ground;
with astonishment and surprise at what they saw, through fear and reverence of the divine Being, of whose presence they were now sensible, and as worshipping of him, and praying to him.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 3.)

Judges 13:20 In-Context

18 The angel of God said, "What's this? You ask for my name? You wouldn't understand - it's sheer wonder."
19 So Manoah took the kid and the Grain-Offering and sacrificed them on a rock altar to God who works wonders.
20 As the flames leapt up from the altar to heaven, God's angel also ascended in the altar flames. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
21 Manoah and his wife never saw the angel of God again.
22 He said to his wife, "We're as good as dead! We've looked on God!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.