Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 13:15
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
15. that we may make ready a kid for thee ] The prep, has a pregnant sense: ‘prepare a meal and set it before thee ’; cf. Jdg 6:19 and Gen 18:6-8. The words might mean offer a kid in thy presence; but under the circumstances this rendering is not probable.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The language of Manoah, like that of Gideon Jdg 6:18, seems to indicate some suspicion that his visitor was more than human. The word rendered made ready, is also the proper word for offering a sacrifice, and is so used by the Angel in the next verse. By which it appears that the Angel understood Manoah to speak of offering a kid as a burnt-offering. Hence, his caution, thou must offer it unto the Lord. (Compare Rev 19:10; Rev 22:8; Act 10:25-26.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. Until we shall have made ready a kid] Not knowing his quality, Manoah wished to do this as an act of hospitality.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Supposing him to be a man and a prophet, to whom he would in this manner express his respect, as was usual to strangers. See Gen 18:5; Jdg 6:18.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. Manoah said unto the angel . .., I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready akidThe stranger declined the intended hospitality andintimated that if the meat were to be an offering, it must bepresented to the Lord [Jud 13:6].Manoah needed this instruction, for his purpose was to offer theprepared viands to him, not as the Lord, but as what he imagined himto be, not even an angel (Jud13:16), but a prophet or merely human messenger. It was on thisaccount, and not as rejecting divine honors, that he spoke in thismanner to Manoah. The angel’s language was exactly similar to that ofour Lord (Mt 19:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord,…. Being satisfied with what he had said, and perceiving that he chose to say no more, and was about to depart:
I pray thee let me detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee; to eat a meal with them, in token of gratitude for the trouble he had been at in bringing these messages to them, taking him to be a man, a prophet of the Lord, for whom they were wont to make entertainments; and Abarbinel thinks Manoah proposed this, on purpose to detain him, in hope that while they were eating together he would reveal some secrets unto him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
As Manoah had not yet recognised in the man the angel of the Lord, as is observed by way of explanation in Jdg 13:16, he wished, like Gideon ( Jdg 6:18), to give a hospitable entertainment to the man who had brought him such joyful tidings, and therefore said to him, “ Let us detain thee, and prepare a kid for thee.” The construction is a pregnant one: “prepare and set before thee.” On the fact itself, see Jdg 6:19.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Manoah’s Alarm. | B. C. 1161. |
15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. 16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD. 17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? 18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? 19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven 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 appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
We have here an account,
I. Of what further passed between Manoah and the angel at this interview. It was in kindness to him that while the angel was with him it was concealed from him that he was an angel; for, had he known it, it would have been such a terror to him that he durst not have conversed with him as he did (v. 16): He knew not that he was an angel. So Christ was in the world, and the world knew him not. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself. We could not bear the sight of the divine glory unveiled. God having determined to speak to us by men like ourselves, prophets and ministers, even when he spoke by his angels, or by his Son, they appeared in the likeness of men, and were taken but for men of God. Now,
1. The angel declined to accept his treat, and appointed him to turn it into a sacrifice. Manoah, being desirous to show some token of respect and gratitude to this venerable stranger who had brought them these glad tidings, begged he would take some refreshment with him (v. 15): We will soon make ready a kid for thee. Those that welcome the message will be kind to the messengers for his sake that sends them, 1 Thess. v. 13. But the angel told him (v. 16) he would not eat of his bread, any more than he would of Gideon’s, but, as there, directed him to offer it to God, Jdg 6:20; Jdg 6:21. Angels need not meat nor drink; but the glorifying of God is their meat and drink, and it was Christ’s, John iv. 34. And we in some measure do the will of God as they do it if, though we cannot live without meat and drink, yet we eat and drink to the glory of God, and so turn even our common meals into sacrifices.
2. The angel declined telling him his name, and would not so far gratify his curiosity. Manoah desired to know his name (v. 17), and of what tribe he was, not as if he doubted the truth of his message, but that they might return his visit, and be better acquainted with him (it is good to increase and improve our acquaintance with good men and good ministers); and he has a further design: “That when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour, celebrate thee as a true prophet, and recommend others to thee for divine instructions,–that we may call the child that shall be born after thy name, and so do thee honour,–or that we may send thee a present, honouring one whom God has honoured.” But the angel denies his request with something of a check to his curiosity (v. 18): Why askest thou thus after my name? Jacob himself could not prevail for this favour, Gen. xxxii. 29. Note, We have not what we ask when we ask we know not what. Manoah’s request was honestly meant and yet was denied. God told Moses his name (Exo 3:13; Exo 3:14), because there was a particular occasion for his knowing it, but here there was no occasion. What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty he was readily told (Jdg 13:12; Jdg 13:13), but what he asked to gratify his curiosity was denied. God has in his word given us full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer all the enquiries of a speculative head. He gives him a reason for his refusal: It is secret. The names of angels were not as yet revealed, to prevent the idolizing of them. After the captivity, when the church was cured of idolatry, angels made themselves known to Daniel by their names, Michael and Gabriel; and to Zacharias the angel told his name unasked (Luke i. 19): I am Gabriel. But here it is secret, or it is wonderful, too wonderful for us. One of Christ’s names is Wonderful, Isa. ix. 6. His name was long a secret, but by the gospel it is brought to light: Jesus a Saviour. Manoah must not ask because he must not know. Note, (1.) There are secret things which belong not to us, and which we must content ourselves to be in the dark about while we are here in this world. (2.) We must therefore never indulge a vain curiosity in our enquiries concerning these things, Col. ii. 18. Nescire velle quae Magister maximus docere non vult erudita inscitia est–To be willingly ignorant of those things which our great Master refuses to teach us is to be at once ignorant and wise.
3. The angel assisted and owned their sacrifice, and, at parting, gave them to understand who he was. He had directed them to offer their burnt-offering to the Lord, v. 16. Praises offered up to God are the most acceptable entertainment of the angels; see Rev. xxii. 9, worship God. And Manoah, having so good a warrant, though he was no priest and had no altar, turned his meat into a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock to the Lord (v. 19), that is, he brought and laid it to be offered. “Lord, here it is, do what thou pleasest with it.” Thus we must bring our hearts to God as living sacrifices, and submit them to the operation of his Spirit. All things being now ready, (1.) The angel did wondrously, for his name was Wonderful. Probably the wonder he did was the same with what he had done for Gideon, he made fire to come either down from heaven or up out of the rock to consume the sacrifice. (2.) He ascended up towards heaven in the flame of the sacrifice, v. 20. By this it appeared that he was not, as they thought, a mere man, but a messenger immediately from heaven. Thence certainly he descended, for thither he ascended, Joh 3:13; Joh 6:62. This signified God’s acceptance of the offering and intimates to what we owe the acceptance of all our offerings, even to the mediation of the angel of the covenant, that other angel, who puts much incense to the prayers of saints and so offers them before the throne, Rev. viii. 3. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But it is Christ in the heart by faith that makes it an offering of a sweet-smelling savour: without him our services are offensive smoke, but, in him, acceptable flame. We may apply it 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. ix. 12. While the angel did this, it is twice said (Jdg 13:19; Jdg 13:20) that Manoah and his wife looked on. This is a proof of the miracle: the matter of fact was true, for out of the mouth of these two eye-witnesses the report of it is established. The angel did all that was done in the sacrifice; they did but look on; yet doubtless, when the angel ascended towards heaven, their hearts ascended with him in thanksgiving for the promise which came thence and in expectation of the performance to come thence too. Yet, when the angel has ascended, they dared not, as those that were the witnesses of Christ’s ascension, stand gazing up into heaven, but in holy fear and reverence they fell on their faces to the ground. And now, [1.] They knew that it was an angel, v. 21. It was plain it was not the body of a man they saw, since it was not chained to the earth, nor prejudiced by fire; but ascended, and ascended in flame, and therefore with good reason they conclude it was an angel; for he maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. [2.] But he did not any more appear to them; it was for a particular occasion, now over, that he was sent, not to settle a constant correspondence, as with prophets. They must remember and observe what the angel had said and not expect to hear more.
II. We have an account of the impressions which this vision made upon Manoah and his wife. While the angel did wondrously, they looked on, and said nothing (so it becomes us carefully to observe the wondrous works of God, and to be silent before him); but when he had gone, having finished his work, they had time to make their reflections. 1. In Manoah’s reflection upon it there is great fear, v. 22. He had spoken with great assurance of the son they should shortly be the joyful parents of (Jdg 13:8; Jdg 13:12), and yet is now put into such a confusion by that very thing which should have strengthened and encouraged his faith that he counts upon nothing but their being both cut off immediately: We shall surely die. It was a vulgar opinion generally received among the ancient Jews that it was present death to see God or an angel; and this notion quite overcome his faith for the present, as it did Gideon’s, ch. vi. 22. 2. In his wife’s reflection upon it there is great faith, v. 23. Here the weaker vessel was the stronger believer, which perhaps was the reason why the angel chose once and again to appear to her. Manoah’s heart began to fail him, but his wife, as a help meet for him, encouraged him. Two are better than one, for, if one fall into dejections and despondencies, the other will help to raise him up. Yoke-fellows should piously assist each other’s faith and joy as there is occasion. None could argue better than Manoah’s wife does here: We shall surely die, said her husband; “Nay,” said she, “we need not fear that; let us never turn that against us which is really for us. We shall not die unless God be pleased to kill us: our death must come from his hand and his pleasure. Now the tokens of his favour which we have received forbid us to think that he designs our destruction. Had he thought fit to kill us, (1.) He would not have accepted our sacrifice, and signified to us his acceptance of it by turning it to ashes, Ps. xx. 3, margin. The sacrifice was the ransom of our lives, and the fire fastening upon that was a plain indication of the turning away of his wrath from us. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, but you see ours is not so. (2.) He would not have shown us all these things, these strange sights, now at a time when there is little or no open vision (1 Sam. iii. 1), nor would he have given these exceedingly great and precious promises of a son that shall be a Nazarite and a deliverer of Israel–he would not have told us such things as these if he had been pleased to kill us. We need not fear the withering of those roots out of which such a branch is yet to spring.” Note, Hereby it appears that God designs not the death of sinners that he has accepted the great sacrifice which Christ offered up for their salvation, has put them in a way of obtaining his favour, and has assured them of it upon their repentance. Had he been pleased to kill them, he would not have done so. And let those good Christians 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 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, nor will he mock his people with his favours.” Learn to reason as Manoah’s wife did, “If God had designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not have given me such distinguishing tokens of his favour.” O woman! great is thy faith.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
(15) A kid for thee.Literally, before thy face. The narrative is closely analogous to that of the appearance of the angel to Gideon, and there is the same uncertainty in the terms used, so that we cannot certainly decide whether Manoahs object was to offer a sacrifice or to offer hospitality. The verb gnasoth, like the Greek rezein (LXX., poisin) and the Latin facere, means either to do or to sacrifice. A kid was a special delicacy (Gen. 27:9; 1Sa. 16:20). (See Augustine, Quaest., in Jud. vii. 53.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. Let us detain thee Manoah would observe those rites of oriental hospitality by attention to which Abraham entertained angels unawares.
Gen 18:1-8.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Manoah said to the Angel of Yahweh, “I pray you, let me detain you, in order that we may make ready a kid for you.” ’
Aware that his visitor, who appeared to be a man of God, was from Yahweh, although not yet aware of precisely Who He was, Manoah sought to extend hospitality to him. This was a natural reaction in those days when travellers were dependent on hospitality for provision. Manoah desired to honour Him fully. Compare Gideon (Jdg 6:18).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Every step in this delightful narration, becomes more, and more interesting. Perhaps the Reader will recollect, how in similar circumstances, Abraham tried to-detain his heavenly visitor. Gen 18:2-5 . Reader, you and I can hardly enter into the full apprehension of the sweetness of those things. Since the Son of God finished redemption-work, and returned unto glory, such open appearances have not been vouchsafed, of divine visits. But stop – are we not still more highly favoured? Is not the Holy Ghost come down to dwell in the hearts of his people; and is not that gracious promise fulfilled, that if any man love our Jesus, the Father will love him, and both will come and make their abode with him? Are these things so? Do the Holy undivided Three, truly visit the souls of the faithful? Oh! then may my soul know this, feel it, and truly enjoy it, and constrain the Lord to abide with me always, even to the end of the world. Dear Jesus! I would say, be not thou as a way-faring man, that tarrieth but for a night; but do thou remember thy promise, wherein thou hast caused me to hope. Joh 14:24-26 ; Mat 28:20 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
Ver. 15. Let us detain thee, until we shall, &c. ] A prophet’s reward they held him worthy of, even “double honour,” 1Ti 5:17 that is, Reverentia et alimonia, saith Ambrose: Officium et subsidium, saith Beza.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a kid = a kid of the goats.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Promise Fulfilled
Jdg 13:15-25
Manoahs wife comforted her husband with admirable tact. How often her words come back to us, at the different stages of life! The fact that God continues to bless and use, to answer prayer and give revelations of Himself, may be quoted as a reason for believing that He has not cast us off. Would He have showed us such things as these and then kill us? His love in time past forbids us to think so.
Samson means sunny. A happy, laughing lad, with his profuse crown of unshorn hair-is it any wonder that the soldiers of the garrison, situated on the Dan-frontier, welcomed him? And the Spirit of God began to play on his young soul, as a minstrel plays on his harp. Such is the literal rendering of began to move. Oh, happy are they whose natures lie open to Gods touch, so that the least movement produces a quick and glad answer! As the Aeolian harp will respond to the kiss of the zephyr or the moan of the rising storm, so be it with our hearts and lives. Thus our unconscious influence may become as songs without words.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
let us: Jdg 6:18, Jdg 6:19, Gen 18:3-5
until: Manoah, not knowing the quality of his guest, wished to do this as act of hospitality.
for thee: Heb. before thee
Reciprocal: Gen 18:5 – And I Gen 18:7 – General Gen 18:8 – and they Gen 27:9 – two 1Sa 9:7 – what shall 1Ki 13:7 – refresh Heb 13:2 – some
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 13:15-16. Until we shall have made ready a kid He supposed him to be a man and a prophet, to whom he would in this manner express his respect, as was usual to strangers. I will not eat of thy bread That is, meat, as bread is commonly taken in Scripture. If thou wilt offer a burnt- offering As Manoah had made no mention of a burnt-offering, but only desired the angel, whom he took for a prophet, to accept of a repast with them, Le Clercs translation of this passage is to be preferred. But (not and, as we render it) if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering to the Lord, do it: that is, if thou desirest to express thy thankfulness to the Lord, thou mayest do it by offering a burnt-offering.