131 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord , so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years . 2 There was a certain man of Zorah , of the family of the Danites , whose name was Manoah ; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. 3 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now , you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son . 4 "Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink , nor eat any unclean thing . 5 " For behold , you shall conceive and give birth to a son , and no razor shall come upon his head , for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb ; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines ." 6 Then the woman came and told her husband , saying , " A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God , very awesome . And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name . 7 "But he said to me, 'Behold , you shall conceive and give birth to a son , and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing , for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death .' "
8 Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said , "O Lord , please e let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born ." 9 God listened to the voice of Manoah ; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting 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 the other day has appeared to me." 11 Then Manoah arose and followed e his wife , and when he came to the man he said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman ?" And he said , "I am." 12 Manoah said , "Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy's mode of life and his vocation ?" 13 So the angel of the Lord said to Manoah , " Let the woman pay attention to all that I said . 14 "She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink , nor eat any unclean thing ; let her observe all that I commanded ."
15 Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord , "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young e goat e for you." 16 The angel of the Lord said to Manoah , "Though you detain me, I will not eat 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 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord , " What is your name , so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" 18 But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my name , seeing it is wonderful ?" 19 So Manoah took the young e goat e with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord , and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven , that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar . When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground . 21 Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again e . Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord . 22 So Manoah said to his wife , " We will surely die , for we have seen God ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 13:1-22
Commentary on Judges 13:1-7
(Read Judges 13:1-7)
Israel did evil: then God delivered them again into the hands of the Philistines. When Israel was in this distress, Samson was born. His parents had been long childless. Many eminent persons were born of such mothers. Mercies long waited for, often prove signal mercies; and by them others may be encouraged to continue their hope in God's mercy. The angel notices her affliction. God often sends comfort to his people very seasonably, when they feel their troubles most. This deliverer of Israel must be devoted to God. Manoah's wife was satisfied that the messenger was of God. She gave her husband a particular account, both of the promise and of the precept. Husbands and wives should tell each other their experiences of communion with God, and their improvements in acquaintance with him, that they may help each other in the way that is holy.
Commentary on Judges 13:8-14
(Read Judges 13:8-14)
Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet, as Manoah, have believed. Good men are more careful and desirous to know the duty to be done by them, than to know the events concerning them: duty is ours, events are God's. God will guide those by his counsel, who desire to know their duty, and apply to him to teach them. Pious parents, especially, will beg Divine assistance. The angel repeats the directions he had before given. There is need of much care for the right ordering both of ourselves and our children, that we may be duly separate from the world, and living sacrifices to the Lord.
Commentary on Judges 13:15-23
(Read Judges 13:15-23)
What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty, he was readily told; but what he asked to gratify his curiosity, was denied. God has in his word given full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer other questionings. There are secret things which belong not to us, of which we must be quite contented to be ignorant, while in this world. The name of our Lord is wonderful and secret; but by his wonderful works he makes himself known as far as is needful for us. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But without Christ in the heart by faith, our services are offensive smoke; in him, acceptable flame. We may apply this to Christ's sacrifice of himself for us; he ascended in the flame of his own offering, for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, Hebrews 9:12. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflection there is great faith. As a help meet for him, she encouraged him. Let believers who have had communion with God in the word and prayer, to whom he has graciously manifested himself, and who have had reason to think God has accepted their works, take encouragement from thence in a cloudy and dark day. God would not have done what he has done for my soul, if he had designed to forsake me, and leave me to perish at last; for his work is perfect. Learn to reason as Manoah's wife; If God designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not give me tokens of his favour.