American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Judges 13
1
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
Reference
2
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bore not.
Reference
People
3
And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, you are barren, and bore not: but you shall conceive, and bear a son.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 1:13
Genesis 18:10
Genesis 17:16
Judges 13:10
Judges 13:6
References Lord
Luke 1:11
Judges 13:8
Judges 2:1
2 Kings 4:16
1 Samuel 1:20
4
Now therefore beware, I pray you, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
Reference
5
For, see, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 6:5
1 Samuel 1:11
1 Chronicles 18:1
2 Samuel 8:1
References Israel
1 Samuel 7:13
6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not from where he was, neither told he me his name:
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 1:17
Acts 6:15
Luke 9:29
Daniel 10:5
Daniel 8:17
Daniel 10:11
References God
Deuteronomy 33:1
1 Samuel 9:6
Luke 1:19
2 Kings 4:9
7
But he said to me, Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8
Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which you did send come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child that shall be born.
Reference
9
And 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 was not with her.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 65:2
10
And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, that came to me the other day.
11
And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Are you the man that spoke to the woman? And he said, I am.
12
And Manoah said, Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do to him?
Reference
13
And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
14
She may not eat of any thing that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
Reference
15
And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, I pray you, let us detain you, until we shall have made ready a kid for you.
16
And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread: and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
17
And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass we may do you honor?
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 32:29
18
And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why ask you thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
Reference
19
So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it on a rock to the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; 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.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Kings 2:11
Matthew 17:6
References Lord
1 Chronicles 21:16
Ezekiel 1:28
Sacrifice
Leviticus 9:24
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.
Reference
22
And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 6:5
Exodus 33:20
John 5:37
Deuteronomy 4:38
References God
Deuteronomy 5:26
Genesis 32:30
John 1:18
Judges 6:22
23
But his wife said to 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 showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 12:21
John 14:20
References Lord
Psalm 25:14
Psalm 86:17
John 15:15
Proverbs 3:32
24
And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
Reference
People
Summary of Judges 13
Judges chapter 13 contains an introduction to Samson and a description of events related to his birth. Israel has again turned away from the Lord, and the Philistines have taken over the country for forty years. An angel of the Lord comes to the wife of Manoah, who cannot have children, and tells her that she will have a son who will be a Nazarite from birth.
Other verses from Judges contain similar constructions about the Lord giving Israel over to their enemies. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
The Philistines are one of the nations that were Israel’s enemies. They were mainly coastal and played an important role during the time of the judges. Unlike previous chapters, the narrative does not mention Israel calling for the Lord’s help. The story moves to the announcement of the birth of Samson, who will deliver Israel from the Philistines.
There was a man in Zorah, in the land of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and did not have children. An angel of the Lord appeared to her and said that despite her condition, she would have a son.
The angel gave instructions concerning the child, specifying that she must abstain from wine and strong drink and must not eat unclean things. The child would be a Nazarite from birth, and the angel noted that no razor would touch his head.
The reason was connected to the child’s future role: he would begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The woman told her husband what had happened while the angel was there. She described him as a man of God, whose appearance was very awe-inspiring. The woman did not know that the stranger who spoke to them was an angel.
Manoah prayed to God that the man of God would return so that he could ask him what he wanted for their son. God heard Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was in the field. She ran to tell her husband that the man was there again.
Manoah met him and asked whether he was the man who had been talking to his wife. The angel confirmed that he was. Manoah asked what they should do with the boy when he grew up and repeated the restrictions that the angel had imposed on his wife. The woman had to avoid wine and strong drinks and unclean things. She had to keep all that God had spoken concerning the child.
Manoah asked the angel to stay with them for a meal. He did not know that he was talking to an angel of the Lord. The angel replied that he would not eat their food, but if they prepared a sacrifice to the Lord, they could eat it. Manoah asked the angel for his name so that they could honor him when the word of God had come to them. The angel replied that his name was wonderful, meaning that it was not known. Manoah did not realize that this stranger had been an angel of the Lord.
Manoah prepared a young goat with a meat offering and invited the angel to accept it. He laid it on a rock, and the fire from heaven consumed it, and the angel of the Lord went up into heaven in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they fell on their faces to the ground in fear. Manoah realized that they had been talking to an angel of the Lord.
He told his wife that they were certain to die because they had seen God. His wife believed otherwise: if the Lord had wanted to kill them, He would not have received their burnt offering and meat offering, and He would not have showed them these signs or spoken to them.
Manoah and his wife saw the signs and realized that the Lord had sent the angel. He had chosen their son for a great role in Israel’s future. Samson was born to them and was called Samson. God blessed him and made him grow up.
The last verse states that the spirit of the Lord began to move Samson in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. This sets the stage for the story of Samson that is told in the following chapters.
Judges chapter 13 sets the stage for the introduction of Samson. He has not yet delivered Israel, but the details of his birth have been introduced to prepare the reader for the story. His father and mother are introduced, and the angel of the Lord speaks to them, giving them instructions about their son. It is clear that he will be dedicated to God and that Israel will play an important role in his future. The chapter also indicates that God can act before people know what He intends to do.
Manoah and his wife did not know what God intended for their son, but they knew that He had chosen him for a special mission. The name Samson refers to the sun, which may indicate that God will show his power through Samson by bringing light into Israel’s darkness.
Samson’s birth is unique compared to other judges who had been introduced. His mother was instructed by an angel concerning restrictions to observe during pregnancy and nursing. Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth, which was rare for Israel’s men. His Nazariteship was connected to his uncut hair, and it played an important role in his story. The angel of the Lord spoke to the woman, revealing that the boy would be a Nazarite from birth. This laid the foundation for Samson’s deliverer role. The last part of the chapter mentions Israel still being under the Philistines’ power, and the story of Samson shows how God will begin to deliver them. Samson’s story is just beginning, and he will face victories as well as weaknesses on his path.
Other verses from Judges contain similar constructions about the Lord giving Israel over to their enemies. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
The Philistines are one of the nations that were Israel’s enemies. They were mainly coastal and played an important role during the time of the judges. Unlike previous chapters, the narrative does not mention Israel calling for the Lord’s help. The story moves to the announcement of the birth of Samson, who will deliver Israel from the Philistines.
There was a man in Zorah, in the land of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and did not have children. An angel of the Lord appeared to her and said that despite her condition, she would have a son.
The angel gave instructions concerning the child, specifying that she must abstain from wine and strong drink and must not eat unclean things. The child would be a Nazarite from birth, and the angel noted that no razor would touch his head.
The reason was connected to the child’s future role: he would begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The woman told her husband what had happened while the angel was there. She described him as a man of God, whose appearance was very awe-inspiring. The woman did not know that the stranger who spoke to them was an angel.
Manoah prayed to God that the man of God would return so that he could ask him what he wanted for their son. God heard Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was in the field. She ran to tell her husband that the man was there again.
Manoah met him and asked whether he was the man who had been talking to his wife. The angel confirmed that he was. Manoah asked what they should do with the boy when he grew up and repeated the restrictions that the angel had imposed on his wife. The woman had to avoid wine and strong drinks and unclean things. She had to keep all that God had spoken concerning the child.
Manoah asked the angel to stay with them for a meal. He did not know that he was talking to an angel of the Lord. The angel replied that he would not eat their food, but if they prepared a sacrifice to the Lord, they could eat it. Manoah asked the angel for his name so that they could honor him when the word of God had come to them. The angel replied that his name was wonderful, meaning that it was not known. Manoah did not realize that this stranger had been an angel of the Lord.
Manoah prepared a young goat with a meat offering and invited the angel to accept it. He laid it on a rock, and the fire from heaven consumed it, and the angel of the Lord went up into heaven in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they fell on their faces to the ground in fear. Manoah realized that they had been talking to an angel of the Lord.
He told his wife that they were certain to die because they had seen God. His wife believed otherwise: if the Lord had wanted to kill them, He would not have received their burnt offering and meat offering, and He would not have showed them these signs or spoken to them.
Manoah and his wife saw the signs and realized that the Lord had sent the angel. He had chosen their son for a great role in Israel’s future. Samson was born to them and was called Samson. God blessed him and made him grow up.
The last verse states that the spirit of the Lord began to move Samson in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. This sets the stage for the story of Samson that is told in the following chapters.
Judges chapter 13 sets the stage for the introduction of Samson. He has not yet delivered Israel, but the details of his birth have been introduced to prepare the reader for the story. His father and mother are introduced, and the angel of the Lord speaks to them, giving them instructions about their son. It is clear that he will be dedicated to God and that Israel will play an important role in his future. The chapter also indicates that God can act before people know what He intends to do.
Manoah and his wife did not know what God intended for their son, but they knew that He had chosen him for a special mission. The name Samson refers to the sun, which may indicate that God will show his power through Samson by bringing light into Israel’s darkness.
Samson’s birth is unique compared to other judges who had been introduced. His mother was instructed by an angel concerning restrictions to observe during pregnancy and nursing. Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth, which was rare for Israel’s men. His Nazariteship was connected to his uncut hair, and it played an important role in his story. The angel of the Lord spoke to the woman, revealing that the boy would be a Nazarite from birth. This laid the foundation for Samson’s deliverer role. The last part of the chapter mentions Israel still being under the Philistines’ power, and the story of Samson shows how God will begin to deliver them. Samson’s story is just beginning, and he will face victories as well as weaknesses on his path.