The big picture
With Israel under Philistine power, the angel of the LORD announces that Manoah’s barren wife will bear a Nazirite son who will begin to deliver Israel. The message is confirmed, an offering rises in flame, Samson is born, and the Spirit begins to move him.
Scripture beside the summary
Judges · King James Version · 25Judges 13:1-7
A woman receives the first announcement
Israel again does evil, but no cry for help is recorded. The angel appears to Manoah’s wife, names her barrenness, promises a son, gives Nazirite-related instructions, and says the child will begin Israel’s deliverance.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD ; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the…” The number forty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren…” Naming Danites and Manoah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not…” The line’s distinctive content terms include angel, appeared, barren. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:” The line’s distinctive content terms include drink, beware, pray. Its relationship to verses 3 and 5 shows what work it does in this passage.
Judges 13:1-7
King James Version1And 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.
2And 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.
3And 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.
4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5For, 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.
6Then 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:
7But 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.
Judges 13:8-14
Manoah asks for instruction, and the message is repeated
Manoah prays for the messenger to return and teach them what to do. The angel again appears first to the woman, she calls Manoah, and the instructions are restated with attention to what she must avoid.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Then Manoah intreated the LORD , and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” Naming Manoah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me…” The line’s distinctive content terms include appeared, haste, husband. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.
Judges 13:8-14
King James Version8Then 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.
9And 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.
10And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11And 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.
12And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14She 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.
Judges 13:15-25
The offering ascends, and the promised child grows
Manoah offers hospitality, learns that the messenger’s name is wonderful or secret, and presents a kid and meal offering to the LORD. The angel ascends in the flame, the couple responds in fear and faith, and Samson is born and blessed.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD , What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD : and the angel did wondrously…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“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…” Naming Manoah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a…” The line’s distinctive content terms include offering, burnt, hands. Its relationship to verses 22 and 24 shows what work it does in this passage.
Judges 13:15-25
King James Version15And 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.
16And 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 .
17And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD , What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
18And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD : and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20For 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.
21But 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 .
22And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23But 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 shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Judges 13:1 begins with “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.”
Where the chapter turns
Judges 13:12 forms a natural hinge: “And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?”
The final note
Judges 13:25 leaves the reader with “And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Manoah, angel, wife, woman, drink help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does Abram pursue peace?
He names their kinship and offers a practical separation without insisting on first choice.
What can Lot see that Abram cannot yet possess?
Lot sees fertile land; Abram receives a promise of land and descendants still to come.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.