# Judges 13 š: The Birth of Samson
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Principles / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Samsonās Birth
[[#Verse 01.]]Ā The Israelites again did evil in theĀ Lordās sight,Ā so theĀ LordĀ handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless.Ā
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā The angel of theĀ LordĀ appeared to the woman and said to her, āYouĀ are infertile and childless,Ā but you will conceive and have a son.
[[#Verse 04.]] Now be careful! Do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean.
[[#Verse 04]]Ā Now be careful! Do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean.Ā
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā Look, you will conceive and have a son.Ā You must never cut his hair,Ā for the child will be dedicated to GodĀ from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the powerĀ of the Philistines.ā
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā The woman went and said to her husband, āA man sent from GodĀ came to me! He looked like Godās angelāhe was very awesome.Ā I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.Ā
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā He said to me, āLook, you will conceive and have a son.Ā So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean.Ā For the child will be dedicatedĀ to God from birth till the day he dies.āā
[[#Verse 08.]]Ā Manoah prayed to theĀ Lord,Ā āPlease, Lord, allow the man sent from GodĀ to visitĀ us again, so he can teachĀ us how we should raiseĀ the child who will be born.āĀ
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā God answered Manoahās prayer.Ā Godās angel visitedĀ the woman again while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her.Ā
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā The woman ran at once and told her husband,Ā āCome quickly,Ā the man who visitedĀ me the other day has appeared to me!āĀ
[[#Verse 11.]]Ā So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he metĀ the man, he said to him, āAre you the man who spoke to my wife?āĀ He said, āYes.āĀ
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā Manoah said, āNow, when your announcement comes true,Ā how should the child be raised and what should he do?āĀ
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā The angel of theĀ LordĀ toldĀ Manoah, āYour wife should pay attention to everything I told her.Ā
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā She should not drinkĀ anything that the grapevine produces. She must not drink wine or beer, and she must not eat any food that will make her ritually unclean.Ā She should obey everything I commanded her to do.ā
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā Manoah said to the angel of theĀ Lord, āPlease stay here awhile,Ā so we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.āĀ
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā The angel of theĀ LordĀ said to Manoah, āIf I stay,Ā I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to theĀ Lord, you should offer it.ā (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the angel of theĀ Lord.)Ā
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā Manoah said to the angel of theĀ Lord, āTell us your name, so we can honor you when your announcement comes true.āĀ
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā The angel of theĀ LordĀ said to him, āYou should not ask me my name, because you cannot comprehend it.āĀ
[[#Verse 19.]]Ā Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to theĀ Lord. TheĀ Lordās messenger did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.Ā
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā As the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of theĀ LordĀ went up in itĀ while Manoah and his wife watched. They fell facedownĀ to the ground.
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā The angel of theĀ LordĀ did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. After all this happened Manoah realized that the visitor had been the angel of theĀ Lord.Ā
[[#Verse 22.]]Ā Manoah said to his wife, āWe will certainly die, because we have seen a supernatural being!āĀ
[[#Verse 23.]]Ā But his wife said to him, āIf theĀ LordĀ wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us.Ā He would not have shown us all these things, or have spoken to us like this just now.ā
[[#Verse 24.]] Manoahās wife gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord empowered him.
[[#Verse 24]]Ā Manoahās wifeĀ gave birth to a son and named him Samson.Ā The child grew and theĀ LordĀ empoweredĀ him.Ā
[[#Verse 25.]]Ā TheĀ Lordās Spirit began to control himĀ in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
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###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
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###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
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###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24
###### Verse 25.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The Philistine oppression lasted forty years (13:1), the longest in the book.
2. Unlike earlier cycles, the text does not say Israel cried out to the Lord. God acted first.
3. Samson's mother is never named in the text.
4. Nazirite vows (Numbers 6) usually lasted a set time, but Samson was a Nazirite from birth until death (13:7).
5. Nazirites did not drink wine, cut their hair, or go near dead bodies (Numbers 6:3-6).
6. Samson's mother was told to avoid wine and unclean food during her pregnancy (13:4).
7. The angel ascended in the flame of the altar (13:20).
8. Samson's name is related to the Hebrew word for "sun" (*shemesh*).
9. Zorah and Eshtaol (13:25) were towns of Dan in the foothills near Philistine territory.
10. Samson's birth follows a biblical pattern of children born to barren women, like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Samuel.
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One whose name is wonderful. The angel of the Lord said his name was too wonderful to grasp (13:18), and Isaiah foretold a child called Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). Like Samson's, Jesus' birth was announced by an angel (Luke 1:31).
## š Key Principles / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. Manoah prayed for God to teach them how to raise the boy (13:8). How can parents and mentors seek God's help in raising the next generation?
2. God set Samson apart from birth as a Nazirite (13:5). What does it mean to be set apart for God today?
3. Manoah feared death, but his wife reasoned from God's kindness (13:22-23). How does remembering what God has done calm our fears?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verse 5: Samson will be a Nazirite and will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
- š verse 8: Manoah prays for God to teach them how to raise the boy.
- š verse 24: Samson grows up, and the Lord blesses him.
## š Related Passages/Cross Reference
- š [[Numbers 06#Verse 01.|Numbers 6:1-8]] - The Nazirite vow.
- š [[Luke 01#Verse 13.|Luke 1:13-17]] - An angel announces John's birth.
- š [[Luke 01#Verse 31.|Luke 1:31-33]] - An angel announces Jesus' birth.
- š [[Isaiah 09#Verse 06.|Isaiah 9:6]] - His name is Wonderful Counselor.
- š [[1 Samuel 01#Verse 11.|1 Samuel 1:11]] - Hannah vows her son to the Lord.
## š Devotional Reflection
š SOAP: [[Judges 13 - SOAP|Asking For Clarification]]
## š Internal Notes