Judges 13

Chap. XIII. Ver. 1—25. An angel apy predicis the birth of Samson.—We find Israel again in the hands of their enemies; and why? Because they had again turned their backs upon their best friend; and a continual propensity to forsake their God, as constantly made them a prey to their enemies. In fact, those who forsake God, throw themselves into the arms of their enemies. Professors who go back into the world are, of course, exposed to its stings; and those who sow to the flesh, must expect to reap its fruits; for as naturally as a bad tree bringeth forth bad fruit, so naturally doth sin “bring forth death.” ((Romans 7:5).) This captivity of Israel, however, appears but partial; certain of the tribes of Dan and Simeon, residing in the vicinity of the Philistines, probably joined in their sports, and were of course partakers of their idolatries and vices.

This intermixture of the nations produced, to the Israelites, much vexation; and in the issue, destruction to the Philistines. From what period, however, these forty years are to be reckoned, and how far the power of the Philistines extended over Israel, are points not easy to be ascertained, and in a popular work like this, by no means necessary. which predicts the birth of Samson, who, more than twenty years to Manoah, and years hence, was to be their deliverer. This man was a Nazarite from his birth, the laws of which institution will be found, with some remarks in reference to this instance, (Numbers 6:2), &c. The appearance, also, so fully accords with those to Gideon, to Joshua, and to the more ancient patriarchs, that we cannot hesitate a moment in pronouncing this angel to be the same illustrious person as appeared to them.

(Compare (Judges 6)) There are some circumstances, however, which may throw light upon the other appearances, as well as this; as, 1. “His countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible!” (ver. 6.) From this we may infer, that he was attended with a glory like Moses, whose face shone so that the people could not bear to look at him, till he put on a vail. ((Exodus 34:29), &c.) Manoah’s wife, possibly, had heard of this circumstance, and therefore addressed him as a man of God; that is, a prophet. 2. Manoah’s wife, however, did not dare to inquire his name, but Manoah himself did, under the pretence that he might do him honour when his words came to pass. The angel declines this, declaring that his name was secret, “wonderful,”

or mysterious; too much so for them to comprehend it. 3. Manoah offers a burnt-offering; not to the angel, who forbids it, because he knew him not; but to Jehovah. The angel, however, ascended in the flame of the sacrifice, and thus doing wondrously, the pious couple are thereby convinced that their visiter was more than human—that he was divine; for they said, ‘we shall surely die, because we have seen God.’ This fear, as Jay excellently remarks, is not difficult to be accounted for: ‘Ever since man became a sinner, an enemy to God, every approach of the Deity has wakened in him terror and confusion. Our consciences naturally tell us, that we deserve nothing but heavy tidings from the invisible world; we therefore dread every messenger from thence.

And even when God comes to us in mercy, the same sentiment occurs, and sometimes leads us, like Manoah, to mistake his design, and draw a fearful conclusion from it.” But we must not omit to admire the reasoning of Manoah’s wife, who argues their safety, as the same writer justly remarks, on two grounds; 1. The acceptance of their sacrifice. It is not his manner to accept the offering and reject the person. ‘The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect.’ 2. The secrets with which he had favoured them; ‘Neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would, as at this time, have told us such things as these.’ This regards the birth of their

son, his education, his deliverance of their country: if the accomplishment of this be certain, our destruction is impossible.”

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIII. Ver. 6. I asked him not.—The Vulgate renders this clause very differently, the negative not being omitted; ‘Whom when I asked who he was, and whence he came, and by what name he was called, would not tell me; but this he said,” &c. The negative is also wanting in the Septuagint, as it is in the Complutensian Polyglott: ‘And I asked him whence he was, and his name, but he did not tell me.” This is also the reading of the Codex Alexandrinus; but the Septuagint in the London Polyglott, the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, read the negative particle with the Hebrew text; I asked not his name, &c.—Bagster.

Ver. 18. It is secret.—[It was because his name was secret that Manoah wished to know it.] But the angel does not say it was secret, but hoo pailee “it is wonderful;” the very character given to the Messiah:—‘His name shall be called paiiai, wonderful,” (Isaiah 9:6).|—Bagster.

Ver. 19. He did wondrously.—That is, he acted suitably to his name. (ver. 20.)