16 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Manoah, H4495 Though thou detain H6113 me, I will not eat H398 of thy bread: H3899 and if H518 thou wilt offer H6213 a burnt offering, H5930 thou must offer H5927 it unto the LORD. H3068 For Manoah H4495 knew H3045 not that he was an angel H4397 of the LORD. H3068
And the angel H4397 of God H430 said H559 unto him, Take H3947 the flesh H1320 and the unleavened cakes, H4682 and lay H3240 them upon this H1975 rock, H5553 and pour out H8210 the broth. H4839 And he did H6213 so.
And build H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD H3068 thy God H430 upon the top H7218 of this rock, H4581 in the ordered place, H4634 and take H3947 the second H8145 bullock, H6499 and offer H5927 a burnt sacrifice H5930 with the wood H6086 of the grove H842 which thou shalt cut down. H3772
But his wife H802 said H559 unto him, If H3863 the LORD H3068 were pleased H2654 to kill H4191 us, he would not have received H3947 a burnt offering H5930 and a meat offering H4503 at our hands, H3027 neither would he have shewed H7200 us all these things, nor would as at this time H6256 have told H8085 us such things as these. H2063
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 13
Commentary on Judges 13 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 13
At this chapter begins the story of Samson, the last of the judges of Israel whose story is recorded in this book, and next before Eli. The passages related concerning him are, from first to last, very surprising and uncommon. The figure he makes in this history is really great, and yet vastly different from that of his predecessors. We never find him at the head either of a court or of an army, never upon the throne of judgment nor in the field of battle, yet, in his own proper person, a great patriot of his country, and a terrible scourge and check to its enemies and oppressors; he was an eminent believer (Heb. 11:32) and a glorious type of him who with his own arm wrought salvation. The history of the rest of the judges commences from their advancement to that station, but Samson's begins with his birth, nay, with his conception, no less than an angel from heaven ushers him into the world, as a pattern of what should be afterwards done to John Baptist and to Christ. This is related in this chapter.
Jdg 13:1-7
The first verse gives us a short account, such as we have too often met with already, of the great distress that Israel was in, which gave occasion for the raising up of a deliverer. They did evil, as they had done, in the sight of the Lord, and then God delivered them, as he had done, into the hands of their enemies. If there had been no sin, there would have needed no Saviour; but sin was suffered to abound, that grace might much more abound. The enemies God now sold them to were the Philistines, their next neighbours, that lay among them, the first and chief of the nations which were devoted to destruction, but which God left to prove them (ch. 3:1, 3), the five lords of the Philistines, an inconsiderable people in comparison with Israel (they had but five cities of any note), and yet, when God made use of them as the staff in his hand, they were very oppressive and vexatious. And this trouble lasted longer than any yet: it continued forty years, though probably not always alike violent. When Israel was in this distress Samson was born; and here we have his birth foretold by an angel. Observe,
Jdg 13:8-14
We have here an account of a second visit which the angel of God made to Manoah and his wife.
Jdg 13:15-23
We have here an account,