Judges 13
13
The Birth of Samson, a Champion-Deliverer
1Once again, the Israelites continued doing evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he subjected them to Philistine # 13:1 The word for “philistine” can be translated as “rolling,” “migratory,” “wallowing in the dust,” “wandering,” “deviating off course,” or “rejected.” The Philistines are mentioned thirty-four times in the book of Judges. The Philistines were Israel’s constant foe until David defeated them. In the days of Samson, the Israelites had been content to have them as neighbors in the land. rule for forty years.
2There was a certain man from the tribe of Dan, who lived in the city of Zorah, # 13:2 Zorah means “hornet’s nest.” The birth of a champion-deliverer will always stir up a hornet’s nest. named Manoah. # 13:2 Manoah means “rest” or “restoring.” His wife was barren and childless, 3but the Angel of Yahweh appeared to her and said, “Look here! You are no longer barren and childless, for you will conceive and give birth to a son. 4Now be careful not to drink any wine or beer and to eat nothing considered unclean. 5You will conceive and will give birth to a son. Raise the boy as one dedicated to God # 13:5 Or “he will be God’s Nazarite.” A Nazarite was a special class of Jewish men who were dedicated to God. They were forbidden to cut their hair, drink alcohol, or touch any dead thing. The word “Nazarite” is taken from the Hebrew word nazar, which means “dedicated to God,” “set apart,” “consecrated [as a prince],” or “an unpruned branch.” See Num. 6. from the womb and never cut his hair. He will begin to deliver Israel from Philistine power.”
6So Manoah’s wife went to her husband and said, “A man sent from God came to me! He looked like an angel of God—incredibly awesome. # 13:6 Or “very frightening.” I didn’t ask where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name, 7but he told me, ‘You will become pregnant, and you will have a son. Make sure you don’t drink any wine or beer, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy will be fully devoted to God from the womb to the day he dies!’ ”
8Manoah pleaded with Yahweh, “O my Lord, please send the man of God back to us. Have him come to instruct us how to raise the son who is to be born.”
9God answered Manoah’s prayer and sent the Angel of God to the woman again while she was sitting alone in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her 10so she ran at once to tell him the news: “Look! Come quickly! He reappeared—the same man who came to me that day!” 11So Manoah got up, followed his wife, and went to the man. Manoah said to him, “Are you the man who appeared and spoke to my wife?”
“I am,” he said.
12Manoah replied, “Well, when Yahweh fulfills your prophecy, how should we raise the boy, and what is his life mission?”
13The Angel of Yahweh answered, “Do everything that I instructed your wife. 14She must abstain from anything that comes from the grapevine and drink no alcohol, nor should she eat anything unclean. She must do all that I have commanded her.”
15Manoah said to the Angel of Yahweh, “Please stay here until we cook a young goat for you.”
16The Angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Even if you detain me, I will not eat your food. But if you want to prepare a burnt offering, offer it up to Yahweh.” Manoah did not realize that he was speaking with the Angel of Yahweh.
17Stunned, Manoah asked the Angel of Yahweh. “What is your name? When Yahweh fulfills your prophecy, we want to honor you!”
18The Angel of Yahweh replied, “Why ask for my name? It is ‘Wonderfully Hidden!’ ” # 13:18 The Angel of Yahweh was God in a human form. His name can be translated “wonderful,” “incomprehensible,” “unknowable,” “beyond understanding,” or “transcendent.” 19So Manoah prepared the young goat and his grain offering and took them to the rock to offer them up to Yahweh, the wonder-working God. While Manoah and his wife watched, 20flames burst from the rock and ascended upward to heaven from the altar. The Angel of Yahweh, wrapped in the flames of fire, ascended into the sky. # 13:20 There is at least a hint here of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (burnt offering), his resurrection (grain offering), and ascension into heaven. Dazed, Manoah and his wife fell facedown to the ground in worship. 21-23Only then did Manoah realize that he had met the Angel of Yahweh! He turned to his wife and said, “We’re as good as dead! God has just visited us!”
But his wife said, “If Yahweh had planned to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and our grain offering. He wouldn’t have revealed all these things to us or have spoken to us as he did just now.” And Manoah and his wife never encountered Yahweh’s Angel again. 24Manoah’s wife gave birth to a son, and she named him Samson. # 13:24 Samson means “sunbeam,” “little sun,” “sunny,” or, if adjectival, “solar.” He was the twelfth champion-deliverer. Samson is mentioned thirty-eight times in the Bible, including in Heb. 11:32 where he is noted for his faith. The boy grew up with Yahweh’s blessing on his life. # 13:24 Compare 1 Sam. 2:26; Luke 2:52. 25The Spirit of Yahweh began to stir his heart # 13:25 The Hebrew is literally “to strike as a bell.” God’s Spirit moved on Samson powerfully and empowered him. while he was between Zorah and Eshtaol, # 13:25 Eshtaol means “a narrow pass.” God’s Spirit first gripped Samson when he was between a “hornet’s nest” (Zorah) and a “narrow pass” (Eshtaol). We would say that he was between a rock and a hard place. in the Camp of Dan. # 13:25 Or “Mahaneh Dan.” This is possibly the place the tribe of Dan camped on their way to take Laish. See 18:11–12.
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Judges 13: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationJudges 13
13
1And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: 7but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.
8Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 11And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.
15And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee. 16And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah. 17And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor? 18And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? 19So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21But the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah. 22And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23But his wife said unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these. 24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. 25And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
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