Judges chapter 13
Israel falls to the Philistines. Sampson is the twelfth judge.
ISRAEL FALLS TO THE PHILISTINES
VERSE 1. The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
Israel again did that which was evil. The downward spiral continues.
forty years. This is the longest time of oppression yet.
They were subjugated to the Philistines as many years as they wandered in the desert.
VERSE 2. There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.
VERSE 3. The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman. Christian artists often portray angels as obese caucasian babies with blond hair. However, angels are powerful spirit entities with immense power and authority. Read more »
you shall conceive and bear a son. An angel delivering that message is familiar to Christians:
Luke 1:31. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
VERSE 4. Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
VERSE 5. for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
the child shall be a Nazirite. The word “Nazirite” means “devoted” or “consecrated.”
Their vow of separation to the LORD God is mapped out in Numbers chapter 6. It includes:
- abstaining from fermented drink
- refraining from cutting their hair
- avoiding contact with dead bodies
He shall begin to save Israel. Her child will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The completion of that project will fall to Samuel and David.
VERSE 6. Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;
his face was like the face of the angel of God. They didn’t know what an angel looks like.
However, they seem to have an intuition of what an angel looks like.
VERSE 7. but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”
from the womb to the day of his death. Normally a Nazirite vow was temporary. But her child will be a lifelong Nazirite.
VERSE 8. Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”
come again to us. Her husband asks for the angel to come to them both. He wants to meet the angel.
teach us what we should do. His motive is to learn how to proceed.
VERSE 9. 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, wasn’t with her.
the angel of God came again to the woman. The angel visits the woman. But not the man.
The woman is favored with this manifestation, and not the man.
VERSE 10. The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me,”
VERSE 11. Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”
Are you the man. Manoah does not address the angel as an angel, but merely as a man.
VERSE 12. Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”
Now let your words happen. Manoah accepts the message of the angel.
VERSE 13. The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
Of all that I said to the woman. The angel says the information was already given.
VERSE 14. She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”
VERSE 15. Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
VERSE 16. The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was the LORD’s angel.
I won’t eat your bread. Angels are spirit entities. They don’t eat food.
VERSE 17. Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
VERSE 18. The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”
incomprehensible. Or “wonderful.”
VERSE 19. So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.
VERSE 20. For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
the flame went up toward the sky. At special moments in biblical history, a miraculous fire appears and consumes a sacrifice. This indicates God’s acceptance. Plus it must have been spectacular! Read more »
the LORD’s angel. Christian artists often portray angels as obese caucasian babies with blond hair. However, angels are powerful spirit entities with immense power and authority. Read more »
Ascended:
Luke 24:51. While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.
VERSE 21. But the LORD’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the LORD’s angel.
VERSE 22. Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
We shall surely die. The man makes this rash statement.
VERSE 23. But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”
But his wife said to him. She has the proper interpretation.
SAMPSON IS THE TWELFTH JUDGE
VERSE 24. The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
named him Samson. Sampson is the twelfth judge.
VERSE 25. The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
JUDGES
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.