Judges 13:7

13:1-7 Israel did evil: then God delivered them again into the hands of the Philistines. When Israel was in this distress, Samson was born. His parents had been long childless. Many eminent persons were born of such mothers. Mercies long waited for, often prove signal mercies; and by them others may be encouraged to continue their hope in God's mercy. The angel notices her affliction. God often sends comfort to his people very seasonably, when they feel their troubles most. This deliverer of Israel must be devoted to God. Manoah's wife was satisfied that the messenger was of God. She gave her husband a particular account, both of the promise and of the precept. Husbands and wives should tell each other their experiences of communion with God, and their improvements in acquaintance with him, that they may help each other in the way that is holy.

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 Judges 13:4. for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; it is here added, what is not before expressed: unto his death; for he was to be a perpetual Nazarite; some were only Nazarites for a time, for so many days or months, according to their vow; but this son was to be a Nazarite all his days, by the appointment of God; nor is it any objection to what is here said, that his hair was cut off before his death, which caused his Nazariteship to cease; since these words are not a prophecy, but a precept; and besides, that affair happened but a little before his death, he died quickly afterwards.

A man of God - The designation of a prophet, of frequent use in the books of Samuel and Kings 1 Samuel 2:27 ; 1 Samuel 9:6-8 , 1 Samuel 9:10 ; 1 Kings 12:22 ; 1 Kings 13:1 , 1 Kings 13:5-6 , 1 Kings 13:11 , and applied to Timothy by Paul in the New Testament 1 Timothy 6:11 ; 2 Timothy 3:17 . His countenance - Rather, "his appearance," as the word is rendered in Daniel 10:18.

6-8. then Manoah entreated the Lord—On being informed by his wife of the welcome intimation, the husband made it the subject of earnest prayer to God. This is a remarkable instance, indicative of the connection which God has established between prayer and the fulfilment of His promises.

(7) The child shall be a Nazarite. —Comp. Luke 1:15 . Since Samuel was also a Nazarite, we see that the distress of the people had led mothers to meditate on the old law of life-dedication to God. In Samson’s case this vow was imposed on him from his birth, perhaps to teach the Israelites a moral lesson. Other Nazarites were John the Baptist and James, the Lord’s brother. It is not impossible that Joseph was a Nazarite, for in Genesis 49:26 this word is used, though in the English Version it is rendered “separated” from his brethren. The order was highly valued in later days ( Lamentations 4:7 ; Amos 2:11 ).

The woman told her husband of this appearance: "A man of God," she said (lit., the man of God, viz., the one just referred to), "came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name," etc. "Man of God" was the expression used to denote a prophet, or a man who stood in immediate intercourse with God, such as Moses and others (see at Deuteronomy 33:1 ). "Angel of God" is equivalent to "angel of the Lord" ( Judges 2:1 ; Judges 6:11 ), the angel in whom the invisible God reveals himself to men. The woman therefore imagined the person who appeared to her to have been a prophet, whose majestic appearance, however, had produced the impression that he was a superior being; consequently she had not ventured to ask him either his name or where he came from.

[Reformed Biblical] Judges 13:9 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 13:10 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 13:11 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Judges 13:12 Let thy words come to pass; or, thy words shall come to pass ; I firmly believe that thy promises shall be fulfilled. ## How shall we order the child? what rules shall we observe about his education? Judges 13:13 Whilst the child is in her womb, and after the child is born, let him observe the same orders. Judges 13:14 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 13:15 Supposing him to be a man and a prophet, to whom he would in this manner express his respect, as was usual to strangers. See Gen_18:5 Jud_6:18. ## Judges 13:16 Bread, i.e. meat, as bread is commonly taken in Scripture. ## Unto the Lord; not unto a man, as now thou apprehendest me to be; but unto the Lord, as thou wilt by and by perceive me to be. ## Judges 13:17 Either by making honourable mention of time, or by performing respect and service to thee, by a present, which they usually gave to prophets, 1Sa_9:7 ,8 1Ki_14:3. ## Judges 13: