Judges 13:16

16 To whom the angel of the Lord answered, Though thou (shalt) constrain me, I shall not eat thy bread; but if thou wilt make (a) burnt sacrifice, offer thou it to the Lord. And Manoah knew not, that it was an angel of the Lord (For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of the Lord).

Judges 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.

Judges 13:16 In-Context

14 And eat he not whatever thing cometh forth of the vine, drink he not wine, and cider, eat he not any unclean thing, and fulfill he; and keep that, that I commanded to him. (She should not eat anything that cometh forth from the vine, nor should she drink wine, or cider, or eat any unclean thing; she must fulfill, and obey what I have commanded to her.)

15 Therefore Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, I beseech, that thou assent to my prayers, and we array to thee, that is, make ready to meat, a kid of the goats. (And then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, I beseech thee, that thou assent to my prayers, and let us prepare a meal for thee, yea, a goat kid.)

16 To whom the angel of the Lord answered, Though thou (shalt) constrain me, I shall not eat thy bread; but if thou wilt make (a) burnt sacrifice, offer thou it to the Lord. And Manoah knew not, that it was an angel of the Lord (For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of the Lord).

17 And Manoah said to him, What name is to thee, that if thy word be fulfilled, we (can) honour thee?

18 To whom he answered, Why askest thou my name, which is hid, either unknown?