Judges 13:1-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 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... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 13:8-14

We have here an account of a second visit which the angel of God made to Manoah and his wife. I. Manoah earnestly prayed for it, Jdg. 13:8. He was not incredulous of the story his wife told him; he knew she was a virtuous woman, and therefore the heart of her husband did safely trust in her; he knew she would not go about to impose upon him, much less was he, as Josephus unworthily represents him, jealous of his wife's conversation with this stranger; but, 1. He takes it for granted that this... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 13:15-23

We have here an account, I. Of what further passed between Manoah and the angel at this interview. It was in kindness to him that while the angel was with him it was concealed from him that he was an angel; for, had he known it, it would have been such a terror to him that he durst not have conversed with him as he did (Jdg. 13:16): He knew not that he was an angel. So Christ was in the world, and the world knew him not. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself. We could not bear the sight of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:1

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord ,.... Committed idolatry, which was the evil they were prone unto, and were frequently guilty of: and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years : which according to Josephus F6 Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 5.) c. 8. sect. 1. are to be reckoned from the death of the last judge, and the time of Samson's birth; or rather from some time after the death of Jephthah, particularly taking in the two last years of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:2

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites ,.... Of the tribe of Dan, in which tribe Zorah was, and seems to have lain both on the borders of Judah and Dan, Joshua 15:33 ; See Gill on Joshua 15:33 ; see Gill on Joshua 19:41 , and this man was not a mean man, but of rank and figure, a principal man in the country, according to Josephus F7 Antique. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 2. ; though the Talmudists F8 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 61. 1. say he was a plebeian: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:3

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman ,.... According to Josephus F11 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 2. , it was in a plain without the city; and that he appeared in the form of a man is certain from Judges 13:6 but was not a mere man, a prophet of the Lord, nor a created angel, but the uncreated one, the Angel of the covenant, the Son and Word of God, who often appeared in an human form; since his name is said to be "Wonderful", and he to do wonderful things, and is called... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:4

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink ,.... Any liquor inebriating and intoxicating, neither new wine nor old wine, as the Targum, and so Jarchi; the reason of this appears in the next verse, because the child she should conceive and bear was to be a Nazarite, and to be one from his mother's womb; and from all such liquors, Nazarites, according to the law, were to abstain, Numbers 6:3 . and eat not any unclean thing ; meaning not so much such sort of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:5

For, lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son ,.... Which is not only repeated for the confirmation of it, but that she might take notice that he was to be a Nazarite, and therefore must conform to everything agreeable to the law of the Nazarites, and take care that it was observed in him: and no razor shall come on his head ; to cut off the hair of it, not from the time of his birth to his death; for he was to be a perpetual Nazarite: other Nazarites during the time of their Nazariteship... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:6

Then the woman came and told her husband ,.... To whom it would be joyful news, as it was to her: saying, a man of God came unto me ; he appeared in an human form, and therefore she calls him a man; and by his mien and deportment, and the message he brought, she concluded he was a man of God, that is, a prophet; by which name such persons went in those days; and so the Targum calls him a prophet of the Lord: but it is a mere conceit of Ben Gersom that it was Phinehas, who in all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 13:7

But he said unto me, behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son ,.... She says nothing of her barrenness, which the angel took notice of to her, that having been to her reproach: and now drink no wine nor strong drink ; neither new wine nor old wine; so the Targum as before: neither eat any unclean thing ; which was so in a ceremonial sense; otherwise every creature of God is good, and not to be called common or unclean; it here respects what was forbidden Nazarites to eat; see ... read more

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