Judges 13:1-14
A Son Promised to Manoah's Wife
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1Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.
3The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
4Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
6So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
7But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
8Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, let the man of God You sent us come to us again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born.”
9And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God returned to the woman as she was sitting in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.
10The woman ran quickly to tell her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has reappeared!”
11So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” “I am,” he said.
12Then Manoah asked, “When your words come to pass, what will be the boy’s rule of life and mission?”
13So the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife is to do everything I told her.
14She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
During Israel's forty years under Philistine power, the angel of the LORD appears to Manoah's wife, who has no children. She will conceive a son, and he will begin Israel's deliverance from the Philistines. This rescue begins with God's initiative before the child can do anything.
The boy will be a Nazirite, set apart to God from the womb, and no razor is to touch his head. His mother receives instructions too: she must avoid wine, strong drink, and unclean food. The promise concerns her son, but she has a responsibility in preparing for his birth.
When she tells Manoah, he asks God to send the visitor again to teach them how to raise the boy. God hears him. The angel returns to his wife in the field, and she brings Manoah to meet him. When Manoah asks about the child's way of life and mission, the angel repeats the instructions she has already received.
They are given a promise and a next responsibility. They are not given every detail of their son's future. The word “begin” also matters: his work will form part of Israel's deliverance, not complete it all.
Questions
1 What does the angel promise Manoah’s wife?
AnswerShe will bear a son who will be a Nazirite to God from the womb and begin delivering Israel from the Philistines.
2 What instructions apply to the mother and the child?
AnswerShe must avoid products of the vine, wine, strong drink, and unclean food. No razor is to touch the boy’s head.
3 How does God answer Manoah’s prayer for instruction?
AnswerThe angel returns to his wife, who brings Manoah to him. He repeats the instructions already given to her.
4 How can we respond when we need to learn a new responsibility?
AnswerWe can ask God for wisdom, listen carefully to the guidance available, and begin with what is clear. We do not need to pretend we already know everything.
What This Means for Us
Manoah asks to be taught. That is a good posture when someone is entrusted to our care. Listen to what another family member has learned instead of assuming instruction only matters when it comes directly to you. God's particular instructions for Samson's family are not universal household rules, but their need for humble attention is familiar.
Prayer
Lord, prepare us to receive responsibilities we did not expect. Give us obedience for the work You assign and wisdom to care for those entrusted to us. Amen.
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