18 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, Why askest H7592 thou thus after my name, H8034 seeing it is secret? H6383 H6383
And Jacob H3290 asked H7592 him, and said, H559 Tell H5046 me, I pray thee, thy name. H8034 And he said, H559 Wherefore is it H2088 that thou dost ask H7592 after my name? H8034 And he blessed H1288 him there.
For unto us a child H3206 is born, H3205 unto us a son H1121 is given: H5414 and the government H4951 shall be upon his shoulder: H7926 and his name H8034 shall be called H7121 Wonderful, H6382 Counsellor, H3289 The mighty H1368 God, H410 The everlasting H5703 Father, H1 The Prince H8269 of Peace. H7965
Then the woman H802 came H935 and told H559 her husband, H376 saying, H559 A man H376 of God H430 came H935 unto me, and his countenance H4758 was like the countenance H4758 of an angel H4397 of God, H430 very H3966 terrible: H3372 but I asked H7592 him not whence he was, neither told H5046 he me his name: H8034
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,