Judges 13

Judges 13 introduces the story of Samson, one of the most famous judges of Israel. The chapter details the circumstances surrounding Samson's birth, including a divine encounter with his mother, who had been barren. The angel of the Lord announces the birth of a deliverer who will begin to save Israel from the oppression of the Philistines.

Judges 13:1 (NKJV)
1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

Israel, once again, falls into sin, repeating the cycle of rebellion seen throughout the Book of Judges. As a result, God allows them to be dominated by the Philistines for forty years, showing both God's justice in dealing with sin and His willingness to allow consequences to shape His people.

Judges 13:2-5 (NKJV)
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.
3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

In these verses, God intervenes in the lives of Manoah and his wife, who had been childless. The Angel of the Lord, who is actually the pre-incarnate Christ, announces that they will have a son who will be a Nazirite, set apart for God's purposes. Samson's Nazirite vow signifies his consecration and divine mission from birth. His future role is to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines, foreshadowing God’s greater deliverance for His people.

Judges 13:6-7 (NKJV)
6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.
7 And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

Manoah’s wife relays the message to her husband, recognizing the supernatural nature of her visitor but without full understanding. The restrictions placed on her reinforce the special calling on their future child. The Nazirite vow was not only to be Samson's but would also influence her behavior, showing the importance of purity in fulfilling God's plan.

Judges 13:8-12 (NKJV)
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”
9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”
11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.”
12 Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?”

Manoah responds to the angelic message with prayer, desiring guidance on how to raise the promised child. His request shows faith and a desire to properly follow God’s direction. The Angel of the Lord appears again, confirming His identity. Manoah’s question about the boy’s future role reveals his readiness to embrace God’s plan for their son.

Judges 13:13-14 (NKJV)
13 So the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
14 She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

The Angel repeats the same commands He gave Manoah’s wife, emphasizing the importance of following the instructions regarding the child. The reiteration of these dietary restrictions underlines their significance, connecting obedience to God’s specific plan for Samson’s life.

Judges 13:15-18 (NKJV)
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.”
16 And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the Lord.)
17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”
18 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”

In this passage, Manoah, unaware of the true identity of the Angel of the Lord, offers Him hospitality and asks for His name. The Angel replies that His name is "wonderful," meaning beyond comprehension or too marvelous for Manoah to fully grasp. This Angel is understood to be the pre-incarnate Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who, though distinct from God the Father, is fully divine. He has the authority to bear the name of Yahweh and carries the very personal presence of God the Father in Him. The term "wonderful" signifies that His identity and nature are far beyond what Manoah could understand in human terms.

Judges 13:19-20 (NKJV)
19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on—
20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—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.

As Manoah offers the sacrifice, a miraculous event occurs: the Angel of the Lord ascends in the flames. This powerful sign reveals the true identity of the Angel and leads Manoah and his wife to worship. Their awe reflects the human response to a direct encounter with the divine.

Judges 13:21-23 (NKJV)
21 When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord.
22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time.”

This passage recounts the moment when Manoah and his wife realized that the Angel of the Lord, who had appeared to them, was divine. Manoah, in his fear, exclaimed that they would surely die because they had seen "God" (Elohim). The use of the term "Elohim" here, although plural in form, is often employed in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a singular divine figure. In this case, it refers to the pre-incarnate Christ, the Son of God. The plural form emphasizes His majesty and divinity rather than indicating a plurality of gods. This reflects the awe and reverence Manoah had for the being he encountered, as it was believed that seeing such a divine presence would result in death. However, Manoah's wife wisely reassures him, reasoning that if God had intended to kill them, He would not have accepted their offering or revealed His plans for their future son.

Judges 13:24-25 (NKJV)
24 So the woman bore 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 upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson is born, and God’s blessing is evident from his early years. The Spirit of the Lord begins to work in his life, setting the stage for the great acts of strength he will perform. This marks the beginning of Samson’s journey as Israel’s judge, destined to fight against the Philistines.