JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:1__ Samson was the twelfth and last judge. He lived around the beginning of the eleventh century B.C., about 50 years before Saul became king. His physical strength was unparalleled. Rather than lead an army, he battled the Philistines by himself. He was, however, a deeply f... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:3 THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. See note on 2:1. The angel’s identity was not revealed (Judges 13:6, Judges 13:17). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:5 Any man or woman could take a vow to become a NAZIRITE, to separate himself or herself to God (see Numbers 6:1). It was to be voluntary (Numbers 6:2) and for a limited time (Numbers 6:5, Numbers 6:13). It involved: (1) abstinence from wine, strong drink, or anything associ... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:6 A MAN OF GOD describes prophets elsewhere in the OT (e.g., Deuteronomy 33:1; 1 Samuel 2:27; 1 Kings 17:18). At first, Samson’s mother may have thought she was dealing with a prophet, but she quickly realized this was someone greater. ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:18 WONDERFUL. Or “incomprehensible.” ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:22 WE HAVE SEEN GOD. Manoah’s fears echo those of Gideon upon encountering the angel of the Lord (see Judges 6:22; compare Genesis 32:30; Exodus 33:20). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByT [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 13:25 THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD BEGAN TO STIR HIM. God’s Spirit was pushing Samson toward the work that God wanted him to do (see Judges 14:4). See note on 14:6. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]