1 And the children of Israel did euill againe in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord deliuered them into the hand of the Philistines forty yeeres.
2 ¶ And there was a certaine 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 vnto the woman, and said vnto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne.
4 Now therefore beware I pray thee, and drinke not wine, nor strong drinke, and eat not any vncleane thing.
5 For loe, thou shalt conceiue, and beare a sonne, and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite vnto God from the wombe: and he shall begin to deliuer Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 ¶ Then the woman came, and told her husband, saying; A man of God came vnto mee, and his countenance was like the countenance of an Angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said vnto mee, Behold, thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne; and now, drinke no wine nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing: for the childe shal be a Nazarite to God, from the wombe, to the day of his death.
8 ¶ Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send, come againe vnto vs, & teach vs what we shall do vnto the childe that shall be borne.
9 And God hearkened to the voyce of Manoah; and the Angel of God came againe vnto the woman as shee sate in the field: But Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 And the woman made haste, and ranne, and shewed her husband, and said vnto him; Behold, the man hath appeared vnto me, that came vnto me the other day.
11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said vnto him, Art thou the man that spakest vnto the woman? And he said, I am.
12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to passe: How shall wee order the childe, and how shall we doe vnto him?
13 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Manoah, Of all that I said vnto the woman, let her beware.
14 She may not eate of any thing that commeth of the Uine, neither let her drinke wine or strong drinke, nor eat any vncleane thing: all that I commanded her, let her obserue.
15 ¶ And Manoah saide vnto the Angel of the Lord, I pray thee let vs deteine thee, vntill wee shall haue made ready a kid for thee.
16 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Manoah, Though thou deteine mee, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it vnto the Lord: for Manoah knew not that he was an Angel of the Lord.
17 And Manoah said vnto the Angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to passe, we may doe thee honour?
18 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Manoah tooke a kid, with a meat offering, and offered it vpon a rocke vnto the Lord: and the Angel did wonderously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 For it came to passe, when the flame went vp toward heauen from off the altar, that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
21 (But the Angel of the Lord did no more appeare to Manoah and to his wife:) then Manoah knewe that he was an Angel of the Lord.
22 And Manoah said vnto his wife, Wee shall surely die, because wee haue seene God.
23 But his wife said vnto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill vs, he would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would hee haue shewed vs all these things, nor would as at this time haue told vs such things as these.
24 ¶ And the woman bare a sonne, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, & the Lord blessed him.
25 And the Spirit of the Lord beganne to mooue him at times in the campe of Dan, betweene Zorah and Eshtaol.
The Philistines, Samson announced. (1-7) The angel appears to Manoah. (8-14) Manoah's sacrifice. (15-23) Birth of Samson. (24,25)1-7 Israel did evil: then God delivered them again into the hands of the Philistines. When Israel was in this distress, Samson was born. His parents had been long childless. Many eminent persons were born of such mothers. Mercies long waited for, often prove signal mercies; and by them others may be encouraged to continue their hope in God's mercy. The angel notices her affliction. God often sends comfort to his people very seasonably, when they feel their troubles most. This deliverer of Israel must be devoted to God. Manoah's wife was satisfied that the messenger was of God. She gave her husband a particular account, both of the promise and of the precept. Husbands and wives should tell each other their experiences of communion with God, and their improvements in acquaintance with him, that they may help each other in the way that is holy.
8-14 Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet, as Manoah, have believed. Good men are more careful and desirous to know the duty to be done by them, than to know the events concerning them: duty is ours, events are God's. God will guide those by his counsel, who desire to know their duty, and apply to him to teach them. Pious parents, especially, will beg Divine assistance. The angel repeats the directions he had before given. There is need of much care for the right ordering both of ourselves and our children, that we may be duly separate from the world, and living sacrifices to the Lord.
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, #Heb 9:12|. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflection there is great faith. As a help meet for him, she encouraged him. Let believers who have had communion with God in the word and prayer, to whom he has graciously manifested himself, and who have had reason to think God has accepted their works, take encouragement from thence in a cloudy and dark day. God would not have done what he has done for my soul, if he had designed to forsake me, and leave me to perish at last; for his work is perfect. Learn to reason as Manoah's wife; If God designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not give me tokens of his favour.
24,25 The Spirit of the Lord began to move Samson when a youth. This was evidence that the Lord blessed him. Where God gives his blessing, he gives his Spirit to qualify for the blessing. Those are blessed indeed in whom the Spirit of grace begins to work in the days of their childhood. Samson drank no wine or strong drink, yet excelled in strength and courage, for he had the Spirit of God moving him; therefore be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.