Judges 13:20

_AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, WHY ASKEST THOU THUS AFTER MY NAME, SEEING IT IS SECRET?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

15-23 What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty, he was readily told; but what he asked to gratify his curiosity, was denied. God has in his word given full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer other questionings. There are secret things which belong not to us, of which we must be quite contented to be ignorant, while in this world. The name of our Lord is wonderful and secret; but by his wonderful works he makes himself known as far as is needful for us. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But without Christ in the heart by faith, our services are offensive smoke; in him, acceptable flame. We may apply this to Christ's sacrifice of himself for us; he ascended in the flame of his own offering, for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, Hebrews 9:12. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflecti...

EXPOSITION JUDGES 13:1 DID EVIL AGAIN. It by no means follows from this phrase that this chapter is in direct chronological sequence to the preceding The scene is shifted to the tribe of Dan, and to the Philistines on the west, and there is nothing to guide us as to the exact time when the things narrated occurred. But the end of the forty years probably coincided with the judgeship of Samuel; for there was no complete deliverance in the time of Samson, only occasional cheeks to the Philistine domination (see Judges 13:5). It was not till the days of Samuel that the Philistines were really smitten (see 1 Samuel 7:3). We may suppose the date of the ensuing narrative to be somew

FOR IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE FLAME WENT UP TOWARDS HEAVEN FROM OFF THE ALTAR,.... That is, from the rock, which served instead of an altar, and from whence perhaps the fire sprung which consumed both the burnt offering and the meat offering, the flame of which went up to heaven; this rock or altar having no covering, but was "sub dio", open to the heavens: THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ASCENDED IN THE FLAME OF THE ALTAR; making use of the smoke, as Josephus r says, as a vehicle in which he openly went up to heaven: AND MANOAH AND HIS WIFE LOOKED ON IT; on the flame and smoke, and the angel in it as he ascended; just as the disciples of Christ looked steadfastly on him as he went up to heaven, when a cloud received him out of their sight, Acts 1:9 AND FELL ON THEIR FACES TO THE GROUND; with astonishment and surprise at what they saw, through fea

6. SIXTH DECLENSION: UNDER THE PHILISTINES AND SAMSON CHAPTER 13 _ 1. Israel delivered to the Philistines (Judges 13:1)_ 2. Manoah and his wife (Judges 13:2) 3. Samson born (Judges 13:24) The sixth and last declension of Israel in this book is now before us. This section has deep and interesting lessons. The darkest period is reached. The Philistines lorded over Israel. We miss in connection with this declension the statement which occurs in every preceding departure from Jehovah: “And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.” Here is no cry recorded nor a return unto the Lord. It seems the greatest indifference controlled the people so that there was no desire to cry to the Lord. And w

THE BIRTH OF SAMSON. Judges 13:1. D's usual introduction. Judges 13:2. Zorah (p. 31) is now Sar-' a, 800 ft. above the valley of Sorek (Wady es-Surâ r), 17 m. W. of Jerusalem. In Joshua 15:33 and 2 Chronicles 11:16 it is no longer Danite, but Judahite, evidently because the Danites of the town had moved to the north (Judges 18). Judges 13:3. On the angel of the Lord see 21*. The words but thou shalt conceive and bear a son belong to Judges 13:5

THE FLAME WENT UP. See note on Genesis 4:4. THE ALTAR. The rock is deemed the altar....

_in the Flame of the altar_ as though it were His native element, Exodus 3:2. The sign may well have suggested a more spiritual view of Jehovah's nature (Kittel l.c.). The _flame_is that kindled by Manoah; contrast Judges 6:21....

Samson of Dan Judges 13:1 to Judges 16:31 _The Birth of Samson Judges 13:1-25_ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the

THE STORY OF SAMSON Except for Judges 15:20 and Judges 16:31, Samson has none of the characteristics of a Judge. His exploits against the Philistines are all solitary, and though they doubtless afforded relief to the Israelites, they left no permanent result. We learn much more of the internal organisation of the Philistines than of any of the other foes of Israel; and it was their continued and formidable opposition which, under the will of Jehovah, really welded Israel into a single nation in the times of Samuel and Saul. Samson could not accomplish this; his hatred of the Philistines is undying; but its causes are private rather than national; and his fate is the direct result of his unwillingness to break off all relations with them. He is a warning rather than an example; but such stories as his co