Judges 13: The angel of Yahweh and the birth of Samson
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What happens?
Israel again does evil, and Yahweh gives them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. The angel of Yahweh appears to the barren wife of Manoah, a Danite from Zorah, and tells her she will have a son who is to be a Nazirite to God from the womb: no razor is to touch his head, and he will begin to save Israel from the Philistines. Manoah prays, the angel comes again, will not tell his name, and goes up in the flame from the altar. The boy is born and named Samson, Yahweh blesses him, and Yahweh's Spirit begins to stir him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold. The angel of Yahweh speaks to the woman in verses 3 to 5, and to Manoah in verses 11, 13 and 14, 16 and 18; his words are not printed in gold. The woman tells her husband what the man of God said in verses 6 and 7, and speaks to him again in verses 10 and 23. Manoah prays to Yahweh in verse 8, speaks to the angel in verses 11, 12, 15 and 17, and to his wife in verse 22. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
In plain English: Again the Israelites did what was evil in Yahweh's sight (literally: in Yahweh's eyes), and Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
Good to know: Earlier in Judges the text says the Israelites cried to Yahweh (, , , , ). This chapter does not say that they cried out: it goes from the forty years straight to the birth of Samson. The pattern of the book is set out in to .
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2There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.
In plain English: There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan (this Bible: family) of the Danites, named Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children.
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3Yahweh’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.
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, "Look, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will become pregnant (this Bible: conceive) and give birth to a son.
The Hebrew word: "Angel" is mal'ak, which the dictionary gives as "a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)".
How it is translated: In Judges this Bible says "angel" or a longer form in 18 of the 26 verses that use mal'ak, and "messengers" in 8, all of them messengers sent by people, such as Gideon and Jephthah.
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4Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
In plain English: So now, please be careful. Do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean,
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5for, 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.”
In plain English: because you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. No razor is to touch (literally: go up on) his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."
The Hebrew word: "Nazirite" is nazir, which the dictionary gives as "separate, i.e. consecrated".
Good to know: The law of the Nazirite is in to (see the note on ): no wine or anything from the grapevine, no razor on the head, and no going near a dead body, until the days of the vow are over. Here the boy is to be a Nazirite "from the womb", and in verse 7 "to the day of his death", and his mother too is told not to drink wine or strong drink or eat anything unclean. The angel does not speak of the rule about a dead body. "No razor shall come on his head" is also said of the son Hannah asks for in .
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6Then 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;
In plain English: Then the woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God (literally: his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God), very awesome (or: very frightening). I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
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7but 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.’”
In plain English: But he said to me, 'Look, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. So now do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day he dies.'"
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8Then Manoah entreated Yahweh, 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.”
In plain English: Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, "Please, Lord (this Bible: Oh, Lord), let the man of God you sent come to us again, and teach us what we are to do for the boy who is to be born."
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9God 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.
In plain English: God listened to Manoah's voice, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her.
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10The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”
In plain English: The woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Look, the man who came to me the other day (literally: on the day) has appeared to me!"
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11Manoah 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.”
In plain English: Manoah got up and followed his wife. He came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife (literally: to the woman)?" He said, "I am."
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12Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”
In plain English: Manoah said, "Now may your words come true (or: now when your words come true). What is to be the boy's way of life (literally: the rule for the boy), and what is his work to be?"
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13Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, "The woman must be careful about all that I told her.
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14She 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.”
In plain English: She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine (literally: the vine of the wine). She must not drink wine or strong drink, and must not eat anything unclean. She must keep all that I commanded her."
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15Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
In plain English: Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, "Please let us keep you here (this Bible: stay with us), so that we can get a young goat ready for you."
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16Yahweh’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 Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel.
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, "Even if you keep me here, I will not eat your food (literally: your bread). But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to Yahweh." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of Yahweh.
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17Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
In plain English: Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, "What is your name, so that when your words come true we may honor you?"
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18Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh said to him, "Why do you ask my name? It is wonderful (or: beyond understanding; this Bible: incomprehensible)."
The Hebrew word: "Incomprehensible" is pil'i, which the dictionary gives as "remarkable". It is used in only one other verse, , where this Bible says "This knowledge is beyond me."
What changes: The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) says "wonderful". Read as "wonderful", the angel says his name is too great and marvelous. Read as "beyond understanding", he says it is hidden, too high to know. Either way, he does not tell Manoah his name.
Good to know: The "amazing thing" of verse 19 is a word made from the same Hebrew letters, and so is pele, the name "Wonderful" in .
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19So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.
In plain English: So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering (this Bible: meal offering) and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then he (this Bible: the angel; or: Yahweh) did an amazing (or: wonderful) thing, while Manoah and his wife were watching.
The Hebrew words: "The angel did an amazing thing" is in Hebrew only "and doing a wonder": the Hebrew does not name who did it. It can be read of the angel, as this Bible does, or of Yahweh, named just before: "to Yahweh, who does wonders". Verse 20 tells what was seen.
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20For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
In plain English: When the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell face down to the ground.
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21But Yahweh’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was Yahweh’s angel.
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Yahweh.
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22Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
In plain English: Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die (the Hebrew repeats the verb), because we have seen God."
Good to know: In this chapter the text calls him "the angel of Yahweh" (verses 3, 13, 15 to 18, 20 and 21) and "the angel of God" (verse 9). The woman calls him "a man of God" (verse 6) and "the man" (verse 10). After he goes up in the flame, Manoah says "we have seen God". Gideon is afraid in the same way after he sees the angel of Yahweh ( and ), and Jacob says "I have seen God face to face" ().
Church tradition: Readers differ on who the angel of Yahweh is. Some read him as God himself appearing, and many Christian readers have taken him to be the Son of God before he was born as a man. Others read him as a messenger who speaks in Yahweh's name. The same question comes up at the burning bush ( to ). The text does not say which reading is right.
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23But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh 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.”
In plain English: But his wife said to him, "If Yahweh had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hand. He would not have shown us all these things, and he would not have told us things like these at this time."
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24The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
In plain English: The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
Good to know: The text does not explain the name Samson, and the dictionary gives only "Shimshon, an Israelite". names Samson with Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, David and Samuel.
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25Yahweh’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
In plain English: Yahweh's Spirit (or: spirit) began to stir him (this Bible: move him) in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
The Hebrew words: "Spirit" is ruach, which the dictionary gives as "wind; by resemblance breath", and also "spirit". In Judges this Bible says "spirit" or "Spirit" in 9 of the 10 verses that use ruach. "Move" is pa'am, which the dictionary gives as "to tap, i.e. beat regularly; hence (generally) to impel or agitate". This Bible says "troubled" in the other 4 verses that use it, as of Pharaoh's troubled spirit in .
Good to know: The text says Yahweh's Spirit came on Othniel (), Gideon () and Jephthah (). Of Samson it says the Spirit began to stir him, and later, three times, that it "came mightily on him" (, , ). Mahaneh is the word the dictionary gives as "an encampment", so Mahaneh Dan is "the camp of Dan"; tells how the place got the name.
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