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| 1 And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh,–so Yahweh delivered them up into the hand of the Philistines, forty years. |
LORD delivered them – For lack of faith. With proper faith one might have chased a thousand and two chased ten thousand. R4088:5
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| 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, and, his name, was Manoah; and, his wife, was barren, and had borne no child. |
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| 3 And the messenger of Yahweh appeared unto the woman,–and said unto her–Lo! I pray thee, thou, art barren, and hast borne no child, but thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son. |
Appeared – In human form, a power which angel's possess. B127
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| 4 Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink,–nor eat anything unclean; |
Drink not wine – Twice before Samson's birth an angel of the Lord impressed upon his mother the importance of abstemiousness. R5612:3
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| 5 for lo! thou, art about to conceive and bear a son, and no, razor, shall come on his head, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be from his birth,–and, he, shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
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Nazarite – It was included in the vow of a Nazarite that he would avoid spiritous liquor in every form, that his hair would not be cut and that he would avoid contamination with dead bodies--signifying full, complete consecration. R5612:3, R4088:1
There is no intimation that Samson ever violated this vow. R4088:1
Not a resident of Nazareth. Jesus was from Nazareth, but not under a Nazarite vow. R5612:3
Deliver Israel – According to divine promise, Samson was to be one of the Judges of Israel, one of the deliverers of Israel. R5612:6
Philistines – They were supposedly pirates, preying upon Israel. R5612:6
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| 6 So the woman came in, and told her husband, saying, A man of God, came unto me, and, his, appearance, was as the appearance of the messenger of God, reverend exceedingly,–and I asked him not whence he was, and, his name, he told me not. |
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| 7 But he said unto me, Lo! thou art about to conceive, and bear a son,–now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be, from his birth until the day of his death. |
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| 8 Then Manoah made entreaty unto Yahweh, and said: Pardon, O My Lord! the man of God whom thou didst send, I pray thee, let him come again unto us, that he may teach us what we are to do, unto the boy that is to be born. |
Let the man – The angel who had appeared in human form. E94
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| 9 And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah,–and the messenger of God came again unto the woman, as, she, was sitting in the field, Manoah her husband, not being with her. |
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| 10 So the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband,–and said unto him, Lo! the man, hath appeared unto me, who came the other day unto me. |
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| 11 Then Manoah arose, and followed his wife,–and came unto the man, and said unto him–Art, thou, the man that spake unto the wife? And he said–I am. |
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| 12 And Manoah said, Now, let thy words come to pass,–What shall be the rule for the boy, and his work? |
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| 13 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah,–Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware. |
Angel of the LORD – Perhaps this was the last direct communication between the Lord and any of his people Israel. R5615:5
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| 14 Of nothing that cometh of the vine, may she eat, nor wine nor strong drink, let her drink, nor, anything unclean, let her eat,–all that I commanded her, let her observe. |
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| 15 And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh,–I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid. |
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| 16 But the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah–Though thou detain me, yet will I not eat of thy food, and, though thou make ready an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh, must thou cause it to ascend. For Manoah had not discerned that, the angel of Yahweh, he was. |
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| 17 Then said Manoah unto the messenger of Yahweh, What is thy name,–that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honour? |
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| 18 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore is it, that thou shouldst ask after my name,–seeing that, it, is Wonderful? |
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| 19 So Manoah took the kid, and the meal-offering, and caused them to ascend upon the rock unto Yahweh, who was about to do, wondrously, while Manoah and his wife were looking on. |
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| 20 And it came to pass, when the flame ascended from off the altar, towards the heavens, that the messenger of Yahweh ascended in the flame of the altar,–while Manoah and his wife were looking on. Then fell they on their faces, to the earth. |
Ascended in the flame – Similar in manner to our Lord's ascension. R2818:6
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| 21 And the messenger of Yahweh did no more appear unto Manoah or unto his wife. Then, Manoah knew that, the messenger of Yahweh, he was. |
Then Manoah knew – Previously thought to be a man, showing that angels can assume human bodies and appear as men. A183; R265:2, R18:3, R261:6, R578:6
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| 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall, die,–for, upon God, have we looked. |
God – Hebrew, Elohim, a mighty one, referring to the angel. R1410:3
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| 23 But his wife said unto him, If Yahweh had been pleased to put us to death, he would not have received at our hand, an ascending-sacrifice and a meal-offering, nor would he have shewed us all these things,–and, at such a time, have let us hear the like of this! |
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| 24 So the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson,–and the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him. |
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| 25 And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan,–between Zorah and Eshtaol. |
Spirit of the LORD – Such a mechanical operation of the holy Spirit is wholly different from that which applies to the Christian, begotten of the Spirit. R5613:3
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