Judges 13

God delivereth Israel up for their sins into the hand of the Philistines a long time, v.1. The angel appeareth unto Manoahs barren wife, telling her that she should bear a son, and how she should demean her self, and and they should deal with the child, 2. Manoah having understood this of his wife, prayeth and obtaineth, that the angel returneth, an dinstructeth them both concerning the child, 6. Manoah is desirous to provide food for the Angel, and inquireth after his name, 15. But the Angel ascendeth into heaven in the flame of the burnt- offering, which he requireth in stead of meat, 20. Whereby being much affrighted, is comforted by his wife, 22. Who beareth him Simson, 24. In whom the spirit of God beginneth towork, 25.

1. And the children of Israel proceeded to do that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD: therefore the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines fourty years.

2. And there was a man of Zora, [Lying on the west-side of the mountain, which parteth Judah and Dan from each other; on the east-side did the tribe of Judah dwell: see Josua.15.33. and 19.40,41.] of the family of the Danite, [i.e. of the tribe of Dan] whose name was Manoah: and his wife was barren, and bare not.

3. And an angel of the Lord [Understand here the son of god himself, as Judges.6.11. see below the annot. On v.16.] appeared unto the women: and he said unto her, behold now, art barren, and hast not born, but thou salt be with child, and bear a son.

4. Therefore take heed unto thy self now, I pray thee, and drink no wine, nor strong drink: [See Numbers.6.3,4.] and eat no unclean thing. [See Leviticus, chapter.11.]

5. For behold, thou salt be with child, and bear a son, upon whose head no razor shall come, [See Numbers.6.5.] for that male-child shall be a Nazarite of God, [i.e. set apart: see hereof Number.6. on v.2.] from the mothers womb, [the word Mother, is here and in the seventh verse inserted from Chapters16,17.] and he shall begin to deliver [but not wholly deliver, which afterward was done in the time of Samuel and David: see 1 Samuel.7.13,14. 2 Samuel.8.1. & 21.15, etc. & 23.12.] Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6. Then this woman came in, and spake unto her husband, saying, There came a man of God [So are the Prophets and Teachers of Gods people called, because they are called of God to a holy and Godly function, unto whom he (they being as it were his messengers) revealeth most familiarly his sacred will, to manifest and declare the same unto the people, and because they are instruments of his holy spirit: see Josua.14.6. 1 Samuel.2.27. 1 Kings v3.1. & 17.18,24. &2 Kings chapters.4,5,6,7,8. Ezra 3:2. Nehemaih 12.24,35. Also 1 Tim.6.11. 2 Tim.1.17. 2Peter.1.21.] unto me, whose face was as the face of the angel of the God, very dreadful: [i.e. honourable, reverend, or also terrible] and I asked him not whence he was, and he told me not his name.

7. But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son: therefore drink no wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing, for that male-child shall be a Nazarite of God from the (mothers) womb, to the day of his death. [See Genesis.24. on verse 21.]

8. Then Manoah prayed unto the LORD servently, and said, O LORD, let, I pray thee, the man of God whom thou didst send, come again unto us, and teach us, what we shall do to the male-child that shall be born.

9. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah: and the Angel of God came again unto the woman; now she sate in the field, but her husband Manoah was not with her.

10. Therefore the woman made haste, and ran, and told it her husband: and she said unto him, Behold, that man hath appeared unto me, which came unto me on that day.

11. Then Manoah arose, and went after his wife: and he came unto that man, and said unto him, Art thou that man that spakest unto this woman? And he said, I am he.

12. Then said Manoah, now let thy words [Or, every one of thy words] come: [i.e. let all thy words come to pass, or be fulfilled] (but) what shall the male-childs manner, and his work be? [i.e. how shall we deal with him, and what shall we observe in his education or bringing up?]

13. And the Angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, of all that I said unto the woman, she shall beware. [The Angel answereth indeed concerning the duty of the duty of the woman, but all this looked chiefly upon the state and office of the son, for which those commands were given to the Mother]

14. She shall not eat of any thing that procedeth from the vine of wine; [Which is edible, or may be eaten, as grapes, raisins, etc. see Numbers.6.3,4.] neither shall she drink wine nor strong drink wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: whatsoever I have commanded her, she shall observe.

15. Then said Manoah unto the Angel of the Lord, let us (I pray thee) detain thee, and make ready a kid before thy face. [i.e. to set before thee. Compare above chapter.6.18,19.]

16. But the Angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, If thou shalt detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; [i.e. meat, victuals] and if thou wilt make a burnt offering, that salt thou offer unto the LORD: [as if he should say, that kid should be either for food for me, or for a burnt-offering: Now I have no need of any meat, as being not a Man, but an Angel, yea, the son of God. If then thou offerest unto me a burnt-offering, that shalt thou offer up even to God himself; giving thereby to understanding, that he was very God. Compare the three following verses, and verses.22,23.] For Manoah knew not that it was an Angel of the LORD. [This is the reason why Manoah provided meat, and set it before him.]

17. And Manoah said unto the Angel of the LORD, What is thy name? That when thy word shall come (to pass) we may honour thee. [Viz. with a present, in token of thankfulness. Compare 1 Kings 9:7,8. & 2 Kings 14. On v.3.]

18. And the Angel of the LORD said unto him, why asketh thou thus after my name? Which is indeed wonderful. [Hebrew. Peli; i.e. wonderful, or, hidden. Compare Israel.9.5. Oth. And he was wonderful, viz, in his doing, as appeareth in the following verse]

19. Then Manoah took a kid, and the meat-offering, and offered it upon the rock, [Compare Judge.6. on v.26.] unto the LORD: [according to the words of the Angel, verse.16.] and he [viz. this Angel] dealt wonderfully in (his) doing: and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20. And it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from the Altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar: when Manoah and his wife saw that, they fell on their faces to the ground.

21. And the Angel of the LORD appeared no more [Hebrew. Added no more, or proceeded no more to appear] unto Manoah and unto his wife: then Manoah acknowledged that it was an Angel of the LORD.

22. And Manoah said unto his wife, we shall certainly die: [Hebrew. Dying die. Compare above, chapter.6.12. and the Annotat. There] because we have seen God.

23. But his wife said unto him, If the LORD had a mind to kill us, he had not accepted the burnt-offering and meat-offering at our hand, nor shewed us all this, nor let us at this time hear (such) as this is. [Being no token of anger, but of special favour and grace]

24. After that, this woman bare a son, and she called his name Simson: [Hebrew. Schim schon] and that child waxed great, and the LORD blessed it.

25. And the spirit of the LORD began at times to drive him [i.e. secretly, and in an extraordinary or special manner, to put him on, and move him to be zealous in his calling, and to seek and catch at all opportunity to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. The Hebrew word hath divers significations, as of going, footstep, once, or more times, turn, time, and is also taken for an anvit, whereon they strike one blow after another, or, by turns and successively. Whence cometh the signification of smiting, driving, driving on, as if so be a smith strook upon an Anvil. Compare the phrase used Matthew.4 1. Luke 4:1. Romans.8.14. 2 Peter.1.21.] In the camp of Dan, [Hebrew. Machane-Dan, why this place was so called, see below chapter.18.11,12. It may be that Simson had here some what to do with the Philistines] between Zora, [see above on verse.2.] and between Esthaol. [Esthaol lay farther off in the west, toward the sea, by the brook Serek: see below chapter.16.4,31.]