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JUDGES 13

AN ANGEL TELLS OF THE BIRTH OF SAMSON

The Israelites continue to live in rebellion against God, living faithless, sinful lives. Because of their wickedness, they are oppressed by the Philistines for forty years.

There is a man named Manoah, who is from the tribe of Dan. God sends an angel to appear before Manoah’s wife, who is barren, to tell her that she will have a child. This child would begin to save the Israelites from the Philistines. The angel tells Manoah’s wife that her son would live under the Nazarite vow, an oath to refrain from drinking alcohol, cutting one's hair, or coming into contact with dead bodies (Numbers 6).

The angel appears again to Manoah and instructs him to provide a burnt offering for the Lord. When God devours the offering with fire, Manoah and his wife believed they had seen God. Manoah's wife gives birth to a son and names him Samson.

STUDY QUESTIONS

Judges 13:2–5 foretells the birth of Samson. What does it mean that Samson would be under the Nazirite vow (see Numbers 6:1–21)?