Judges 13:1

CHAPTER XIII

The Israelites corrupt themselves, abut are delivered into the

hands of the Philistines forty years, 1.

An Angel appears to the wife of Manoah, foretells the birth of

her son, and gives her directions how to treat both herself and

her child, who was to be a deliverer of Israel, 2-5.

She informs her husband of this transaction, 6, 7.

Manoah prays that the Angel may reappear; he is heard, and the

Angel appears to him and his wife, and repeats his former

directions concerning the mother and the child, 8-14.

Manoah presents an offering to the Lord, and the Angel ascends

in the flame, 15-20.

Manoah is alarmed, but is comforted by the judicious rejections

of his wife, 21-23.

Samson is born, and begins to feel the influence of the Divine

Spirit, 24, 25.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIII

Verse Judges 13:1. Delivered them into the hand of the Philistines] It does not appear that after Shamgar, to the present time, the Philistines were in a condition to oppress Israel, or God had not permitted them to do it; but now they have a commission, the Israelites having departed from the Lord. Nor is it evident that the Philistines had entirely subjected the Israelites, as there still appears to have been a sort of commerce between the two people. They had often vexed and made inroads upon them, but they had them not in entire subjection; see Jude 1:15, Judges 15:11.