Judges 13

1 Again the Israelites [the children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] did evil [morally wrong, wicked] in the sight [presence, before the eyes] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], so He delivered [gave, handed over] them into the hand [power, control] of the Philistines [inhabitants of Philistia, a neighboring nation] for forty [a significant period of time] years. word study 2 Now there was a man [a male person, an individual] from Zorah named Manoah [meaning rest], from the clan [family, tribe] of the Danites [descendants of Dan, a son of Jacob], whose wife [female partner, companion] was barren [sterile, unable to have children] and had no children [had not given birth, was childless]. word study 3 The angel [messenger, divine representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] appeared to the woman [female person, wife] and said to her, “It is true that you are barren [sterile, unable to have children] and have no children; but you will conceive [become pregnant] and give birth to a son [male child, descendant]. word study 4 Now [at this time, from now on] please [I pray] be careful [take heed, beware] not [by no means] to drink [consume, ingest] wine [fermented wine, intoxicating beverage] or [nor] strong drink [intoxicating liquor], and [also] not [nothing] to eat [devour, consume] anything [all, everything] unclean [impure, tainted, spiritually defiled]. word study 5 For behold [look, take notice], you will conceive [become pregnant, with child] and give birth to a son [a male child, an heir]. And no razor [sharp blade, cutting instrument] shall come over his head [upon his life, in his presence], because the boy [youth, young one] will be a Nazirite [consecrated, dedicated] to God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] from the womb [birth, infancy], and he will begin [start, initiate] the deliverance [salvation, rescue] of Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob] from the hand [power, control] of the Philistines [enemies, oppressors].” word study 6 So the woman [a female person, wife] went and told her husband, “A man [male person, individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] came to me. His appearance [sight, vision] was like the angel [messenger, representative] of God [the one supreme God], exceedingly [very, greatly] awesome [fearful, revered]. I did not ask [inquire, seek information] him where [in what place] he came from, and he did not tell [declare, reveal] me his name [identity, character]. word study 7 But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive [become pregnant] and give birth to a son [a male child, a descendant]. Now, therefore, do not drink wine [intoxicating beverage] or strong drink [fermented liquor], and do not eat anything unclean [impure, defiled], because the boy will be a Nazirite [consecrated, devoted] to God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] from the womb [the belly, the place of birth] until the day of his death [the end of his life].’” word study 8 Then Manoah [made supplication, prayed fervently] prayed to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], “Please [I beseech you, oh that], O Lord [Adonay, Master], let the man [prophet, messenger] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] You sent [appointed, dispatched] us come to us again [return, revisit] to teach [guide, instruct] us how to raise [care for, nurture] the boy [child, youth] who is to be born [given birth, brought forth].” word study 9 And God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] listened to [hearkened to, gave ear to] the voice [sound, utterance] of Manoah, and the angel [messenger, representative] of God returned to the woman as she was sitting [dwelling, remaining] in the field [land, cultivated area]; but her husband Manoah [the father of Samson, a judge in Israel] was not with [together, in companionship] her. word study 10 The woman [wife, female] ran quickly [with haste, swiftly] to tell [declare, inform] her husband, “Behold [look, see], the man [male, individual] who came [approached, visited] to me the other day [previously, earlier] has reappeared [come back, returned]!” word study 11 So Manoah got up [arose, stood up] and followed [went after] his wife [the woman]. When he came [approached, drew near] to the man [the individual, person], he asked [said to him], “Are you [do you be] the man [the one, he] who spoke [communicated, talked] to my wife [the woman, his spouse]?” “I am [it is I, myself],” he said [replied, answered]. word study 12 Then Manoah asked [inquired, sought to know], “When your words [promises, declarations] come to pass [are fulfilled, happen], what will be the boy’s [youth’s, child’s] rule of life [manner of living, custom] and mission [work, deed, purpose]?” word study 13 So the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] answered Manoah, “Your wife [woman, female partner] is to do [obey, keep] everything [all, the whole] I told [said, commanded] her [the woman, as instructed]. word study 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the vine [including grapes, or products of the vine], nor drink any wine [fermented liquor] or strong drink [intensely alcoholic beverage], nor eat anything unclean [impure, or defiled]. She must do everything [all that is commanded, without exception] I have commanded [given orders to, instructed] her.” word study 15 “Please [I pray thee, let us] stay here,” Manoah [the father of Samson, meaning rest] said to the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “and we will prepare [make, do] a young goat [kid, a juvenile goat] for you [as an act of hospitality].” word study 16 And the angel [messenger] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] replied, “Even if I stay [remain, tarry], I will not eat [consume, devour] your food [bread, sustenance]. But if you prepare [make, offer] a burnt offering [a step or stairs to the altar], offer it to the LORD [as an act of worship].” For Manoah [rest, the father of Samson] did not know [was unaware, had not discerned] that it was the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [the one who speaks for God]. word study 17 Then Manoah [the father of Samson, a judge in Israel] said to the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “What [who, whose name] is your name [identity, character], so that we may honor [glorify, make weighty] you when your word [promise, saying] comes to pass [happens, is fulfilled]?” word study 18 “Why do you ask my name [what I am called, my identity],” said the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], “since it is [incomprehensible, wonderful, beyond human understanding] [secret, wonderful, a wonder] beyond comprehension?” word study 19 Then Manoah took [received, got] a young goat [kid, juvenile goat] and a grain offering [meal-offering, gift to God] and offered [presented, sacrificed] them on a rock [stone, boulder] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. And as Manoah and his wife looked on [watched, observed], the LORD did [performed, accomplished] a marvelous thing [wondrously, an amazing work]. word study 20 When the flame [a fiery blaze, blazing up] went up from the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] to the sky [heaven, the visible universe], the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] ascended [went up, rose] in the flame [a sharp blade]. When Manoah [rest, a famous judge’s father] and his wife [woman, female person] saw [looked on, beheld] this, they fell [prostrated themselves, went down] facedown [on their faces, in reverence] to the ground [land, earth, soil]. word study 21 And when the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] did not appear [was seen no more, did no more appear] again to Manoah [the father of Samson, a judge in Israel] and his wife [woman, female partner], Manoah realized [knew, understood, ascertained by seeing] that it had been the angel [messenger, divine envoy] of the LORD [the supreme God, ruler of all]. word study 22 “We are going to die [surely die, certainly perish],” he said to his wife [woman, female companion], “for [because, since] we have seen [looked upon, gazed at] God [Elohim, the supreme Divine One]!” word study 23 But his wife replied, “If the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] had intended [desired, wished] to kill us, He would not have accepted [received with favor] the burnt offering [a step or stairs to the altar] and the grain offering [a gift or donation] from our hands, nor would He have shown us [revealed to us, made known] all these things [everything, all events] or spoken to us [communicated with us, guided us] this way [in this manner, at this time].” word study 24 So the woman [female person, wife] gave birth [to beget, brought forth] to a son [male child, descendant] and named [to call, designate] him Samson [like the sun]. The boy [youth, young person] grew [to magnify, became great], and the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] blessed [to praise, honor] him. word study 25 And the Spirit [breath of life, divine influence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] began [to move, to prompt] to stir him at Mahaneh-dan [in the camp of Dan], between [in the midst of, located at] Zorah and Eshtaol [a place of entreaty]. word study