Giudici 13:16

16 E l’angelo dell’Eterno rispose a Manoah: "Anche se tu mi trattenessi, non mangerei del tuo cibo; ma, se vuoi fare un olocausto, offrilo all’Eterno". Or Manoah non sapeva che quello fosse l’angelo dell’Eterno.

Giudici 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 13:16

And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah
In answer to his request:

though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread;
that is, should he be prevailed upon to stay awhile with him, until an entertainment should be got ready, he would not eat of any of his provisions; for "bread" is put for all eatables, or whatsoever he might provide for the entertainment:

and if,
or "but if" ^F14

thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord;
if he meant to provide not a festival entertainment, but a sacrifice, then he should take care that he did not offer it to strange gods, as was now very much the custom with Israel in this their time of apostasy, ( Judges 13:1 ) but to the true Jehovah, and not to a servant of his, a prophet or an angel, but to himself:

for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord;
he took him to be a man, a prophet sent of God, and not an angel; and much less the uncreated one, to whom as such only the sacrifice could be offered.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (Maw) "si autem", V. L. "quod si", Tigurine version; "sin autem", Junius & Tremellius; "si vero", Piscator.

Giudici 13:16 In-Context

14 Non mangi di alcun prodotto della vigna, né beva vino o bevanda alcoolica, e non mangi alcun che d’impuro; osservi tutto quello che le ho comandato".

15 E Manoah disse all’angelo dell’Eterno: "Deh, permettici di trattenerti, e di prepararti un capretto!"

16 E l’angelo dell’Eterno rispose a Manoah: "Anche se tu mi trattenessi, non mangerei del tuo cibo; ma, se vuoi fare un olocausto, offrilo all’Eterno". Or Manoah non sapeva che quello fosse l’angelo dell’Eterno.

17 Poi Manoah disse all’angelo dell’Eterno: "Qual è il tuo nome, affinché, adempiute che siano le tue parole, noi ti rendiamo onore?"

18 E l’angelo dell’Eterno gli rispose: "Perché mi chiedi il mio nome? esso è maraviglioso".