It is not actually said that Manoah refused, but the sequel (Judges 14:5) in its original form implies that he did.

he sought an occasion The subject is Jehovah, cf. Joshua 11:20; an occasion, i.e. for a quarrel, cf. 2 Kings 5:7. The Philistines had always been the aggressors; an act of retaliation was justifiable.

over Israel Israel as a whole did not yet exist. The generalized statement probably comes from the editor; cf. Judges 13:1.

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