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Judges 13

Judg 13, Jdg 13, Jg 13, Jdgs 13


Judges 13

1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 And 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.

3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9 And 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.

10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

11 And 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.

12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?

13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.



14 She may not eat of any thing 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.

15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor?

18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

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Summary and the Meaning of Chapter 13 of the Book of Judges

The book of Judges is a historical account of the Israelites after they entered the Promised Land. It covers a period of about 300 years, during which the Israelites were ruled by a series of judges. Chapter 13 is the beginning of the story of Samson, one of the most well-known judges in the Bible. This chapter introduces us to Samson's parents and the circumstances surrounding his birth. It also sets the stage for the rest of Samson's story, which is filled with themes of strength, betrayal, and redemption.

The Birth of Samson

The chapter begins by telling us that the Israelites once again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and so the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. The Philistines were a constant threat to the Israelites, and they oppressed them severely. It was during this time that an angel of the Lord appeared to a barren woman named Manoah and told her that she would conceive and bear a son. The angel instructed her to not drink wine or strong drink and to not eat anything unclean, for the child would be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.

The Nazirite vow was a special vow of consecration that some Israelites took upon themselves. It involved abstaining from wine, cutting one's hair, and avoiding contact with anything that was considered unclean. This vow was usually taken for a specific period of time, but in Samson's case, it was to be for his entire life.

Manoah told her husband, who was also named Manoah, about the visitation from the angel, and he prayed to the Lord for the angel to return and give them more instructions. The angel appeared again to Manoah's wife, and she went to get her husband. When he came, the angel repeated the instructions and also told them that the child would deliver the Israelites from the Philistines.

Manoah then offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and as it was burning, the angel ascended to heaven in the flames. Manoah and his wife realized that they had seen an angel of the Lord and feared for their lives, but the angel reassured them that they would not die. In response, Manoah offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and the angel performed a miraculous sign by causing the fire to consume the sacrifice while he ascended to heaven.

Samson's Birth and Childhood

As predicted, Manoah's wife conceived and gave birth to a son. They named him Samson, and the Lord blessed him as he grew. The Spirit of the Lord began to stir in Samson, and he showed great strength even as a young man.

One day, while Samson was in the city of Timnah, he saw a Philistine woman and told his parents that he wanted to marry her. His parents were not pleased, as the Philistines were their enemies. However, Samson insisted, and his parents went with him to Timnah to arrange the marriage.

As they were traveling, Samson was attacked by a young lion, but the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Samson did not tell his parents what had happened, and they continued on to Timnah to arrange the marriage.

On the way back from Timnah, Samson stopped to look at the carcass of the lion, and he found that a swarm of bees had made honey in it. He took some of the honey and ate it, but he did not tell his parents where the honey had come from.

The Meaning of Chapter 13

There are several key themes in this chapter that are important to understanding the rest of Samson's story. The first theme is the Israelites' continual cycle of sin and oppression. The Israelites had a pattern of turning away from God and worshiping other gods, which would result in God allowing their enemies to oppress them. However, when the Israelites cried out to God for help, He would raise up a judge to deliver them. This cycle is repeated throughout the book of Judges and serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God.

The second theme is the concept of the Nazirite vow. Samson was set apart by God from the moment of his conception to be a Nazirite. This meant that he had to live a life of strict obedience to God's laws, and in return, he would be given great strength. This vow was a symbol of dedication and consecration to God, and it was meant to set Samson apart as a leader and deliverer for the Israelites.

The third theme is the role of God's Spirit in Samson's life. The Spirit of the Lord is mentioned several times in this chapter, and it is clear that Samson's strength and abilities were a result of the Spirit's presence in his life. This is a reminder that God's strength and power are available to those who are dedicated to Him and seek to follow His will.

Finally, this chapter also foreshadows the events that will unfold in the rest of Samson's story. The mention of the Philistines as the oppressors of the Israelites and the prediction that Samson will deliver them sets the stage for the conflicts that will arise between Samson and the Philistines. The story of the lion and the honey also foreshadows the riddle that Samson will pose to the Philistines in the future.

In conclusion, chapter 13 of the book of Judges serves as an introduction to the story of Samson and sets the stage for the themes that will be explored throughout the rest of his life. It also serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the power of God to deliver His people. The story of Samson is a powerful example of God's faithfulness and His ability to use imperfect individuals to accomplish His purposes.



This article is informed by the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the authors' personal knowledge, considerations and experience, and additional materials and resources available in internet.

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