Judges 13

Judges 13:1-7

At this chapter begins the story of Samfon, the loft and the greatest of Israel’s judges. He was both an eminent believer, Heb. xi. 32. and a glorious type of him who with his own arm we might salvation. Here it, 1. The oppression of Israel by the Phleffines, ver. 2. 2. His birth forested by an angel to his mother, ver. 2—5. 3. Her relation of it to his father, ver. 6, 7. 4. The angel’s return, and directions to Manuah’s wife, ver. 5—14. 5. The refferit they forewed him, ver. 15—18. 6. His departure in the flame of the altar, ver. 19—23. 7. Samfon’s birth, ver. 24, 25.

1. AND the children of Israel + did evil again in the fight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Phleffines forty years. 2. ¶ And there was a certain man of Zouah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manuah, and his wife was + barren and bare not. 3. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and beareft not: but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. 4. Now therefore

Before Chord therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine, nor ftrong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. 5. For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a fon, and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6. Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, ‘A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I afked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name. 7. But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a fon; and now drink no wine, nor ftrong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God, from the womb to the day of his death.

There is no end of Israel’s evil, or of God’s mercy: Where his abounds, we see his grace much more abound. Once more the heavy hand of the Philistines is upon them, and during forty years, more or less, they bear the punishment of their sins under these oppressors, till God, in the person of Samson, raises up a deliverer for them.

1. His tribe and parentage: of Dan, which bordered nearest on the Philistines, and of parents who had long been childless. Nate, (1.) Where there is the greatest danger, and the least prologed of relief, there God often chokes to display his power and glory. (2.) The fruit of the womb is an heritage and gift which cometh of the Lord.

2. An angel appears to Manoah’s wife, even the glorious angel of the everlasting covenant, who now comes in the fashion of a man, as afterwards really partaking of the same nature.

3. The message he brings her is most welcome and unexpected, and the charge he delivers itself and solemn. He compulsively mentions her misfortune of barrenness; this shall be her grief no longer; the shall conceive and bear a fon, who, being appointed for singular service, must be a Nazarite, not only from his birth, but also from his conception; for which end, during her pregnancy, she must not touch any thing that came of the vine, nor eat any unclean thing; nor is a razor ever to come on his head, God intending by him to begin his people’s deliverance. Nate, (1.) God sees and compels man to the secret of the world. (2.) They who would preserve themselves in business for God, must deny themselves the indulgence of their appetites. (3.) The offspring usually partakes at the parent’s bodily habit. Temperate parents have healthy children, while the curse of lewdness and luxury descends often on the fruit of the womb. (4.) The beginnings of salvation are glorious, how much more the compulsion of it. (5.) Samson is the type of him who foretold his birth: he was thus holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners, conceived of the Holy Ghost, a Nazarite purer than snow, raised up not only to begin, but to perfect the salvation of his people.

4. With a transport of joy she flies to carry her husband an account of what had passed. Struck at the majestic and venerable appearance of the messenger, she describes his countenance as luminous, like Moses’s face, or bright with divine irradiation as an angel. His words are repeated, but neither dared ask his name, or whence he came. Nate, (1.) We should call those who are near and dear to us to partake in our joys. (2.) True yoke-fellows should communicate their experiences for their mutual comfort and satisfaction.

5. Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou disft send, come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10. And the woman made halfe, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 11. And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakeeth unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: ‘How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13. And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware. 14. She may not eat any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or ftrong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: ‘all that I command her, let her observe.

Judges 13:8-14

1. Manoah rejoices at the news, flaggers not at the promise, but confidently depending on its fulfilment, prays for direction how to manage this child, when he should be

born, agreeably to God’s will; and for this purpose begs God would send the same messenger, to give them farther information. Nate, (1.) To improve God’s blessings to his glory, is the prayer and labour of every gracious soul. (2.) When we have met with a refreshing visit from God, we cannot but cry, Return, O God of hoffts, return. (3.) They who wish a messenger from God, a preacher of his word, to be sent among them, would do well to make it the matter of their fervent prayer.

2. God refused not his request. The same day, probably, not another day, as our translation seems to make it, the angel of the covenant returns the second time to Manoah’s wife when alone, either to her husband, or retired for cometh with God. She entreats permission to call her husband: this granted, she runs to inform him, and he gladly attends her to wait on their celestial vibrant, and there solicitously enquires about the management of the child, which in faith he believed should be given them. Nate, (1.) They who look God, will find him to their comfort. (2.) When we are alone with God, he will manifest himself to us as he doth not unto the world. (3.) They who have experienced the blessing of God’s pretence and love, would fain call those who are near and dear to them, to taffe and flee with them how good the Lord is. (4.) When we are called to approach God, our hearts should never be backward to the gracious invitation. (5.) The care of children is a great concern, and parents need beg often of God, to direct them how to manage them so, as to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

3. The angel repeats the same instructions. Nate, (1.) It is good to have him on time, and precept on precept. (2.) When our treacherous memories would forget, or treacherous hearts neglect God’s command, it is good to have near us a loving and careful remembrance. (3.) They who would be holy to the Lord, must watch with jealousy against the defilement of sin.

4. And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, ’let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. 16. And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD: for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD. 17. And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass, ‘we may do thee honour? 18. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, ‘Why asketh thou thus after my name, seeing it it? 19. So Manoah took a kid, with a meat-offering, and ‘offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did ‘wonderously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on it, and ‘fell on their faces to the ground. 21. (But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife.) Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22. And Manoah said unto his wife, ‘We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23. But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, ‘he would not have received a burnt-offering, and a meat-offering at our hands,’ neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us, such things as these.

Judges 13:15-23

We have here a continuation of what passed at this interview.

1. Manoah intrests him to prolong his stay, and take some refreshment with him before he departed. Nate, When God sends his messengers with glad tidings to us, the least we can do is to afford them kind entertainment.

2. The angel declines accepting his offer, though he forbids him not to prepare the kid for sacrifice, which he might offer to the Lord, the only true object of worship. Nate, The services we do or offer to God’s ministers, are acceptable sacrifices to God.

3. He refuses to gratify Manoah’s curiosity, enquiring who he was, and where he lived, that he might, after the event, do him honour, either spread his fame, or send him a present on the birth of his son. His name is secret, not to be known, for who by searching can find out God? or wonderful, as Christ is called, for, is, which person, incarnation, and office, deserve this title. Nate, (1.) It is highly desirable to cultivate acquaintance with a good man. (2.) If we ask in prayer what is not good for us to receive, the best answer is a denial. (3.) In our enquiries in religion, vain curiosity is dangerous. There are secret things which belong only unto God, where it is our highest wisdom to be contentedly ignorant.

4. Manoah

5. Manoah having prepared the offering and sacrifice, and laid it on the rock, the angel did wonderfully, either, as in Gideon’s sacrifice, he brought forth fire from the rock to consume it; or, if Manoah kindled the flame, to his aftermathment he lies him aforesaid in the midst of the fire, and disappear; hereby evidently intimating his acceptance of the oblation, and discovering himself to them, who now were convinced that he was more than man who talked with them. Note, (1.) When we bring our hearts to God in prayer, Jesus will kindle the holy fire, and lift up our souls to heaven as the flame ascends. (2.) The advent of the angel benzened the acceptableness of the offering. Jesus our ascended Lord is thus gone up to heaven, to present our sacrifices to God, as, for his sake, a sweet-bodding favour.

6. For a time in silent wonder and dread, Manoah and his wife, after this strange sight, remained on their faces: when infing to refrain on this transaction, Manoah expresses his fearful apprehensions, lest (as was then the general opinion) this divine appearance portended his death certain and near. Note, (1.) So weak are we, that we are afraid sometimes of our very mercies. (2.) In the habitual exercise of faith, some rifings of unbelief will at times distress and disturb us. (3.) A good man may at seasons be afraid to die.

7. His wife appears not only the strongest believer, but the wish of reasoner. She suggests the groundlessness of his fears from two arguments, strongly evidencing the favour of God towards them: 1. The acceptance of their sacrifice; and, 2. the promise he had made them, for the accomplishment of which they must need live. Note, (1.) It is a singular mercy to have such an help-mate as Manoah’s. (2.) When the inner truth down, he should remember what Christ hath done for him by his bloody sacrifice, a sure proof that he designs me his death. (3.) The faithful, in times of discouraging provisions of free temptations, should remember the just experience of God’s goodness, as a ground of present support. He that hath helped us hitherto, means not to destroy us at the left.

8. ¶ And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Ishtahol.

v. 24, 25. According to the divine promise, in due time Samson is born, and from his infancy began to discover some extraordinary tokens of the divine blessing upon him. At particular times, deep impressions were made on his mind from God; or some uncommon instances of wisdom, courage, and strength appeared in him, either in the camp of Dan, where the Danims had assembled to oppose the ravages of the Philistines, or in Mehanch-Dan, which might be the place of his residence. Note, (1.) God often in earliest infancy is pleased to make the most gracious impressions on the minds of some of his chosen people. (2.) They who spend their youth under God’s blessings, promise, when in years, to be men of singular use to their generation.