The Book of Judges

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- Chapter 13 -

(Numbers 6:1–21)

Again the Israelite people did evil, and Yahweh saw what they had done. So Yahweh helped the Philistines to conquer them. They ruled over the Israelites for forty years.

There was a man named Manoah from the family of Dan who lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and so she had not given birth.

One day, the angel of Yahweh appeared to Manoah’s wife and said to her, “Even though you have not been able to give birth to any children until now, you will soon become pregnant and you will give birth to a son.

From now until he is born, you must not drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and you must not eat any food that the law says we should not eat.

You will become pregnant. After you give birth to your son, no one may ever cut his hair. He will be dedicated to God even before he is born until the day he dies. He will begin the work that will rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.”

The woman ran and told her husband, “A man whom God sent came to me. I was very afraid of him, because he was like an angel from God. I did not ask where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.

But he told me, ‘You have become pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. Until then, you must not drink any wine or any alcoholic drink, and you must not eat any food that God’s law says you are not to eat. Your son will be a Nazirite; that is one who is dedicated to God before he is born and until the day he dies.’”

Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh, saying, “O Lord, I plead with you, allow that man whom you sent to us to come again and teach us how we should raise the boy who will be born to us.”

God did what Manoah asked, and his angel came to the woman again. This time she was out in the field. But again her husband Manoah was not with her.

So she quickly ran and said to her husband, “The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!”

Manoah ran back with his wife and asked him, “Are you the man who talked with my wife a few days ago?” He replied, “Yes I am.”

Manoah asked him, “When what you promised occurs and my wife gives birth to a son, what rules will there be for the child, and what work will he do when he grows up?”

Yahweh’s angel replied, “Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her.

Before the baby is born, she must not eat grapes, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat anything that the law says we should not eat.”

Then Manoah said, “Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you.”

Yahweh’s angel replied, “I will stay here, but I will not eat anything. However, you may kill an animal and sacrifice it as a burned offering to Yahweh.” But Manoah did not yet realize that this was Yahweh’s angel.

Then Manoah asked him, “What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you.”

Yahweh’s angel replied, “Why do you ask me my name? It is too marvelous.”

Then Manoah killed a young goat and burned it on a rock, along with a grain offering, as a sacrifice to Yahweh. Then he did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.

When the flames went up from the altar toward the sky, Yahweh’s angel went up in the flame from the altar. Manoah and his wife saw that and lay facedown on the ground.

Although Yahweh’s angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized who this person really was.

So Manoah said, “Now we are sure to die, because we have seen God!”

But his wife said, “No, I do not think so. If Yahweh intended to kill us, he would not have accepted the burned offering and the grain offering. And he would not have appeared to us and told us the wonderful thing that would happen to us, and he would not have performed this miracle.”

When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up.

While he was in Mahanehdan, which is between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, Yahweh’s Spirit began to control him.

(Numbers 6:1–21)

The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.

The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son.

Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;

for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;

but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”

God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.

The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”

Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”

Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”

The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”

Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”

The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was the LORD’s angel.

Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”

The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible(a)?”

So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.

For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

But the LORD’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the LORD’s angel.

Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”

But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”

The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Footnotes

(a)13:18 or, wonderful